2021 Harley-Davidson RA1250S

The defect

Harley Davidson Motor Company (Harley-Davidson) is recalling certain 2021 Pan America 1250S (RA1250S), Pan America 1250 (RA1250), and Sportster S (RH1250S) motorcycles. The instrument cluster module may not display the speedometer and neutral indicator at start-up when the module is below freezing temperatures. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 123, "Motorcycle Controls and Displays."

The risk

Operating a motorcycle without a visible speedometer or neutral indicator may increase the risk of a crash.

The remedy

Dealers will update the instrument cluster module software, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed February 8, 2022. Owners may contact Harley-Davidson customer service at 1-800-258-2464. Harley-Davidson's number for this recall is 0631.

Harley-Davidson Motor Company · up to 3,917 vehicles across all model years covered

The charging system for the battery failed when I was on an out of state road trip. The voltage of the bike would drop between 11 and 12 volts when slowing down. I slowed down to make a tight turn on a canyon highway when the bike lost power and stalled. The motorcycle continued to stall several more times while in motion on the highway and I had a difficult time restarting the motorcycle on the side of the highway each time. I ended up purchasing a new battery thinking it would solve the problem. It worked for another few hundred miles until the new battery was also depleted and I had the same issue on the side of the highway outside Sedona. I had to rent a Uhaul for $551 to be able to …

NHTSA complaint 11746092, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

The engine stalled when I was exiting the freeway due to the charging system failure. This is the second time the charging system failed. The first failure has been documented on NHTSA complaint number 11746092. I paid the Harley Davidson SLC dealership in April 2024 to have the charging system repaired and replaced. Harley Davidson had released a service bulletin acknowledging charging system deficiencies on 2021-2023 Pan America models and subsequently redesigned the entire charging system for the2024 model year. This is a documented pattern and not just an isolated failure. Regarding the repair in April 2024, the dealership replaced the failed stator with the same poorly designed part …

NHTSA complaint 11746095, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

2021 H-D Pan America charging system (stator and/or rotor) failing per dealer testing. Not covered by warranty or extended warranty. Motorcycle is currently at the dealer awaiting parts. Was advised not to ride it because it could run erratic, shut off unexpectedly (very dangerous), fail to start, etc. Possible the magnets can separate from the electrical rotor and cause catastrophic damage requiring engine replacement.

NHTSA complaint 11744734. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

While going through an intersection at 50 mph the dashboard goes black and resets just like you switched the motor cycle off. This has happened to me three times in last 6 months. Dealer says it’s a bad switch and has since been redesigned and he will sell me one for $406.00, for an extra $100.00 they will install it for me. Plus towing to get my job working motorcycle to the dealer.

NHTSA complaint 11737606. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

The ignition kill switch is a known problem all over the internet. When the kill switch is switched the bike continues to run. The more the switch has worn, the longer the delay. I'm afraid at some point it's just not going to kill the engine at all which is a major safety hazard.

NHTSA complaint 11737691. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

The Harley pan America has 2 electrical issues causing safety concerns. The right hand control module fails randomly causing the bike to continue running when turning off. The charging system randomly drops voltage causing the motorcycle to go into a limp mode while driving limiting speed to 55 and reduced throttle input which causes safety concerns while driving down the road. Harley Davidson is aware of the issues but will not repair the issues. This is a common problem with most Harley pan americas. Harley has updated the charging system on newer models along with the right hand control module but will not issue a recall to fix the previous model bikes affected by these problems

NHTSA complaint 11735318. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.