Better safe than incinerated
Repairs to start immediately
During in-house testing of the Touring platform chassis introduced on the 2009 models, Harley-Davidson engineers discovered a potential hazard involving the front fuel tank mounts, and reported the defect to the National Transportation Safety Administration. It was determined that in the event of a severe head-on collision, the mounts could “distort”—potentially causing a fuel leak that could then ignite.
Though no reports have been received of any actual occurrences of fire or bodily harm resulting from the defect, the NHTSA has instituted a recall of all 2009 and 2010 Touring machines manufactured up to November 18, 2010, including the Trike models (i.e. any model with an FLH or FLT prefix). The affected motorcycles should be returned to a Harley-Davidson dealer where a pair of braces will be installed to eliminate the hazard.
—Staff report