2011 HARLEY-DAVIDSON FLHTK Service Brakes Problems

WHEN I WENT TO APPLY THE REAR BRAKE THE PEDAL WAS SOLID AND BRAKES WOULD NOT ENGAGE. I NARROWLY AVOIDED CRASHING BUT NOT MY BIKE IS NOT SAFE TO RIDE. AFTER RESEARCH I HAVE FOUND THAT HARLEY HAS BEEN AWARE OF ABS FAILURE FOR MANY YEARS THAT WAS CAUSED BY POOR DESIGN OF THEIR ABS SYSTEM. HOWEVER IT IS UP TO THE CONSUMER TO REPLACE THE PART. THEIR RECALL STATES TO CHANGE BRAKE FLUID EVERY TWO YEARS. HOWEVER OTHER VEHICLES WITH TH ESAME BRAKE FLUID HAVE NO ISSUES.

Mileage: 12,167

HAD BRAKE RECALL DONE FOR BRAKE FLUSHING BUT INTERMITTENTLY THE BRAKE PEDAL GET HARD AND WILL NOT STOP THE VEHICLE WITH THE REAR BRAKE. HARLEY DEALER FLUSHED THE FLUID BUT THERE IS A PROBLEM WITH THE ABS CONTROLLER AND THEY SAY THAT'S NOT PART OF THE RECALL. I HAVE FLUSHED THE FLUID EVERY YEAR BY MYSELF SO IT IS NOT A FLUID PROBLEM ALTHOUGH HARLEY WON'T ADMIT IT. THEY HAVE SINCE CHANGED TO ANOTHER SUBLET MANUFACTURER (BOSCH) TO MAKE THEIR NEW CONTROLLERS. I THINK MINE SHOULD BE REPLACED BY THE FACTORY AT NO CHARGE FOR THEIR DEFECTIVE CONTROLER.

Mileage: 32,000

LOSS OF BRAKING- AFTER SERVICE OF BRAKE FLUID RECALL- BRAKES FAILED AT 70 MPH ON FREEWAY. THE FRONT BRAKE HANDLE BECAME STIFF AND HAD NO MOVEMENT OR BRAKING.

Mileage: 31,000

FRONT BRAKE HANDLE BECAME FROZEN....COULD NOT SQUEEZE HANDLE TO OPERATE FRONT BRAKES. ONLY DROVE A VERY SHORT DISTANCE BEFORE I REALIZED I HAD NO FRONT BRAKES....PUT BIKE BACK INTO GARAGE AND CALLED TO SCHEDULE A SERVICE APPOINTMENT. HARLEY REPAIR SHOP QUICKLY DETERMINED SOURCE OF PROBLEM...A DEFECTIVE ABS MODULE. THEY INDICATED THEY HAD SEEN OTHER BIKES WITH THIS SAME PROBLEM. VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION. IF I HADN'T NOTICED PROBLEM AS SOON AS I TOOK OFF, AND HAD TO STOP QUICKLY IN TRAFFIC, I WOULD HAVE BEEN IN SERIOUS TROUBLE. I CALLED HARLEY CUSTOMER SERVICE AS WAS TOLD THAT THEY ARE NOT PROVIDING WARRANTY COVERAGE FOR THIS DEFECT. I BELIEVE THEY SHOULD RECALL THE BIKES TO INSPECT THE PART.

Mileage: 22,044

MY FRONT BREAK FROZE AND WOULD NOT WORK HAD TO STOP WITH BACK BRAKE THERE WAS NO WARNING IF I WERE GOING FAST I WAS GOING FAST I WOULD HAVE HIT THE CAR IN FRONT OF ME I TOOK IT BACK TO HARLEY SHOP THAY REPLACED HYDRONIC PUMP 825.00 THERE WAS NO WARNING IT FROZE

Mileage: 17,925

I EXPERIENCED FRONT BRAKE ISSUES ON MY MOTORCYCLE THAT I BELIEVE TO BE RELATED TO THE ABS SYSTEM. WHEN THE PROBLEM OCCURED, WITH THE MOTORCYCLE IN MOTION, ON A STATE HIGHWAY BEING OPERATED AT THE SPEED LIMIT OF 45 MPH, THE FRONT BRAKE LEVER FAILED TO DEPRESS UNDER NORMAL PRESSURE, AND WOULD ONLY ENGAGE IF I PLACED AN UNREASONABLE AMOUNT OF FORCE ON THE BRAKE LEVER. THIS CONDITION CAUSED ME TO HAVE TO PANIC STOP USING ONLY THE ENGINE COMPRESSION AND REAR BRAKE. THIS IS ON A MOTORCYCLE THAT I PURCHASED FROM AN OEM DEALERSHIP LESS THAN 24 MONTHS AGO, THEREFORE THE RECOMMENDED TIME INTERVAL FOR BRAKE FLUID SERVICE HAD NOT BEEN REACHED YET, UNLESS THE DEALER FAILED TO PERFORM THIS SAFETY CRITICAL MAINTENANCE BEFORE SELLING THE MOTORCYCLE. I DISCONTINUED USE OF THE VEHICLE AND BROUGHT IT TO THE DEALERSHIP TO HAVE THIS ISSUE RESOLVED.

Mileage: 13,300

HAD AN ISSUE WITH THE ABS MODULE GOING BAD. I HAD NO WARNING LIGHT, NO PREVIOUS PROBLEMS WITH THE BRAKE SYSTEM AT ALL. WHEN GETTING OFF THE INTERSTATE AT 70 MPH COMING UP TO A STOP SIGN THERE WAS NO FRONT BRAKE AT ALL. THE LEVER WAS HARD AS A ROCK AND WOULD NOT PULL AT ALL. HARLEY SAYS IT'S FROM NOT FLUSHING THE FLUID, BUT I HAVE FLUSHED IT 3 TIMES SINCE PURCHASE AND I PURCHASED IT BRAND NEW. THE BIKE HAS 47K MILES ON IT AND HAS ALWAYS BEEN SERVICED BY ME. I'M AN ASE CERTIFIED MASTER MECHANIC WITH 21 YRS EXPERIENCE ON AUTOMOBILES. I HAVE NEVER HEARD OF AN ABS FAULT CAUSE A NO BRAKE SITUATION. THIS IS A DEATH WAITING TO HAPPEN.

Mileage: 46,670

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 HARLEY-DAVIDSON FLHTK ELECTRA GLIDE. WHILE RIDING 70 MPH, THE FRONT BRAKE LEVER WAS DEPRESSED, BUT FAILED TO OPERATE. THE MOTORCYCLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER TO BE DIAGNOSED. THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE FRONT BRAKE ACTUATOR PISTON BOOTH NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE MOTORCYCLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE FAILURE RECURRED TWICE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURES. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 6,600. ...UPDATED 10/12/16 *BF *CN THEN CONSUMER STATED THE MOTORCYCLE ABS AND MASTER CYLINDER HAS BEEN REPAIRED.*TR

Mileage: 6,600

I WAS BACKING OUT OF MY STEEP DRIVEWAY AND MY FRONT BRAKE SUDDENLY BECAME VERY HARD TO PULL, BORDERING ON IMPOSSIBLE, AND BASICALLY HAD NO STOPPING POWER. AS THIS IS THE ONLY BRAKE I COULD USE WHILE WALKING/BACKING MY BIKE DOWN MY SLOPED THE DRIVEWAY THE BIKE PICKED UP SPEED AND CAUSED ME TO LOSE CONTROL AND THE BIKE FELL OVER. SINCE THEN I HAVE TRIED TO BLEED THE BRAKES 3 TIME WITH NO CHANGE. BRAKE LEVER IS IMPOSSIBLE TO PULL. I THEN REPLACED MY MASTER CYLINDER AND FLUID,BUT COULD STILL NOT BLEED THE FLUID TO GET PROPER LEVER PULL AN BRAKE ACTUATION. I HAVE NOW TROUBLESHOT THIS ISSUE AND NARROWED IT DOWN TO THE ABS MODULATOR, AS I AM GETTING FLUID FROM THE MASTER CYLINDER THROUGH THE LINE TO THE MODULATOR, BUT FLUID IS NOT PASSING THROUGH AND GETTING TO THE CALIPERS. FRONT BRAKES ONLY ARE AFFECTED, AS REAR SEEMS TO BE OK. VERY UNSAFE SITUATION TO HAVE AN ABS SYSTEM THAT DOES NOT HAVE A FAILSAFE BUILT IN TO POSSIBLY BYPASS THE SOLENOIDS IN THE MODULATOR IF THE MODULATOR FAILS. I HAVE READ ON INTERNET FORUMS THAT A LOT OF PEOPLE HAVE HAD THIS SAME ISSUE, SO HOPEFULLY IT CAN BE ADDRESSED.

Mileage: 35,000

DEPRESSED FRONT BRAKE LEVER AND IN COMPLETELY BOTTOMED OUT. HAD TO PUMP THE BRAKES UP TO STOP. A FEW DAYS LATER TOOK BIKE TO A VERY GOOD & TRUSTWORTHY MECHANIC. WE CHANGED THE MASTER CYLINDER & BLED SYSTEM. BRAKE ISSUE PERSIST. HARLEY WANTS BIKE TO DIAGNOSE ISSUE ($120.00). MECHANIC THINKS IT COULD BE THE MAIN ABS MODULE.

Mileage: 82,200

I WAS ON A COUNTRY ROAD GOING INTO A CORNER. I HIT THE REAR BRAKE TO FIND I DID NOT HAVE ANY REAR BRAKES. AFTER THE ACCIDENT WHEN I GOT THE BIKE HOME AND HAD TIME TO INSPECT IT I FOUND THAT THE REAR BRAKE LIGHT SWITCH HAD BLOW OUT CAUSING THE BACK BRAKES TO FAIL. I CALLED HARLEY CUSTOMER SERVICE AND DID NOT GET ANY ANSWERS OR EVEN A PHONE BACK AFTER I TOLD THEM THAT THEY MAY HAVE A PROBLEM ON THIS MODEL. I THEN CALLED MY DEALER. THEY ARE TRYING TO HELP BUT ARE NOT SURE WHAT THEY CAN DO EITHER. THE END RESULT IS THIS, I HAVE THE SERVICED ON A REGULAR BASIS. IT IS WELL MAINTAINED AND GARAGE KEPT. I BOUGHT IT NEW AND IT HAS NEVER BEEN IN AN ACCIDENT BEFORE THIS FAILURE. IT JUST HAD A MAJOR SERVICE DONE AT 30000 MILES. I HAVE NEVER RECEIVED A RECALL NOTICE ON THIS BIKE. THE BIKE WAS PURCHASED AROUND SEPTEMBER 2011 AND WENT TO THE DEALER IT WAS PURCHASED FROM FOR A 1000 MILES SERVICE WITH IN 2 MONTHS AFTER IT WAS BOUGHT. I AM NOT LOOKING CAUSE A LOT OF GRIEF BUT IF HARLEY HAS PROBLEM I WOULD THINK THAT THEY WOULD WANT FIGURE WHAT HAPPENED AND TRY TO MAKE THIS CUSTOMER HAPPY. *TR

Mileage: 31,000