Posted: March 23, 2004
Harley-Davidson Inc. is recalling 73,678 motorcycles to replace a faulty circuit breaker that could cause a sudden stalling of the motorcycle engine and potentially lead to a crash.

The National Highway and Traffic Safety Administration said Tuesday that Harley's recall encompasses touring motorcycles - including Road Kings, Road Glides and Electra Glides - from the 2001, 2002 and the 100th anniversary 2003 model years. The recall involves about a third of all of the touring bikes Harley made in those years, and about 9% of all Harley motorcycles produced in that time frame.

The agency said on its Web site that it launched an investigation Dec. 4 after receiving four complaints from Harley owners. No crashes or injuries had been reported at that time, the agency said.

The safety agency's Office of Defects Investigation said that on certain motorcycles, the 40-amp main circuit breaker can open for an unexplained reason and cause an unexpected interruption of all electrical power to the motorcycle. The condition can cause the motorcycle to stop operating immediately and potentially result in a crash.

A rider who notified the agency said his 2001 motorcycle stalled while he was riding it at 65 mph during rush hour. He told the agency he was nearly hit by an 18-wheeler when he lost power and had to cross three lanes of traffic to reach the highway's breakdown lane.

The advisory said that Harley plans to notify affected motorcycle owners by the end of April.

From the March 24, 2004 editions of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel