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

My motorcycle suffered a serious engine failure at approximately 12,500 km (7,800 miles) while I was riding. Before the failure, I noticed an unusual ticking/rattling noise coming from the engine, especially when the engine was under load or when the throttle was closed. The failure occurred while riding and caused a sudden loss of engine performance. This happened while I was in traffic and I was extremely close to having an accident because the motorcycle did not respond as expected when I needed power. After the motorcycle was inspected, the failure was found to be related to the camshaft/cam chain tensioning system. The cam chain tensioner had become loose and the resulting failure …

NHTSA complaint 11766286, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

My motorcycle suffered a serious engine failure at approximately 12,500 km (7,800 miles) while I was riding. Before the failure, I noticed an unusual ticking/rattling noise coming from the engine, especially when the engine was under load or when the throttle was closed. The failure occurred while riding and caused a sudden loss of engine performance. This happened while I was in traffic and I was extremely close to having an accident because the motorcycle did not respond as expected when I needed power. After the motorcycle was inspected, the failure was found to be related to the camshaft/cam chain tensioning system. The cam chain tensioner had become loose and the resulting failure …

NHTSA complaint 11766287, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

The cam chain tensioner failed while driving down the road, resulting in reduced power during a pass that almost resulted in an accident. There are no maintenance requirements for this component and there are numerous reports of this failing in motorcycles equipped with the Revolution Max engine. On this engine, the cam chain tensioner is held in place with a bolt that is apparently a torque to spec item with no locking mechanism. During the course of normal operation, the bolt backs out and can have varying degrees of damage. In this case, the forward cylinder cam chain became dislodged from the cams, resulting in a dead cylinder and eventually destroying the intake cam. A cursory check …

NHTSA complaint 11764364, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

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.