Over 4 lakh Harley-Davidsons to be recalled

430,000 Harley Davidson motorbikes are under investigation by the US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration for faulty brakes.

The American leisure motorcycle manufacturer Harley-Davidson is currently under investigation by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) in the US for a fault in its motorcycles’ brakes. There haven't been any fatal crashes so far but a total of 43 incidences have been reported, out of which three were crashes involving two injuries. According to the NHTSA, "riders report sudden brake system failure occurring without warning". 4,30,000 motorcycles manufactured between 2008 to 2011 are under investigation by NHTSA.

Riders have complained about a sudden failure of either front, rear or both brakes which resulted in the crash. NHTSA says the failure might be due to malfunctioning in the Anti-Lock Braking system (ABS). In normal conditions, ABS helps control the motorbike under sudden braking. Harley suggests its riders to change the brake fluid in an interval of two years as it is affected by moisture over a period of time, which leads to the failure of ABS actuators. 

All the customers who have lodged a complained have either ignored or failed to change the brake fluid within the time period mentioned by HD. The complete failure of brakes just because of ignoring brake fluid replacement still remains a big concern for the company and its riders.

Earlier in 2014, 60,000 bikes were recalled over malfunctioning brake issue but the irony is that back in 2014, sudden engagement of brakes was the problem.