Harley-Davidson Recalls 250K Motorcycles for Bad Brakes

NEW YORK (MainStreet) —  Harley-Davidson is recalling more than 250,000 motorcycles with faulty brakes, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

The recall involves Touring, CVO Touring and Trike motorcycles from the 2009 to 2012 model years manufactured and sold in the U.S. between June 6, 2008, and Sept. 16, 2011.

The brake lights on these motorcycles can be exposed to too much heat from the exhaust system. This causes the brake light to either fail or illuminate when the brake is not applied, causing brake fluid to leak and affect rear brake performance.

Harley-Davidson says either problem can increase the risk of a crash. 

The problem was discovered after the manufacturer received a report saying a Trike model motorcycle lost rear brake functionality due to a leak. Harley-Davidson is also investigating a crash in Louisiana, the only one, thus far, that may be associated with this issue.

The company will notify affected owners on or around Oct. 31 so they can bring the vehicles to a dealer to have a rear brake light switch kit installed, free of charge. Consumers with additional questions may contact the company at (414)343-4056.

A full list of the vehicles affected by the recall can be found on the NHTSA website.

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