Harley-Davidson’s Recalling Over Half A Year’s Worth Of Touring Motorcycles

Motorcycle recalls don’t ordinarily ping very prominently on our radar screens, focused as we tend to be more on vehicles with four wheels than we are on those with just two. But this one’s too big to ignore.

The Harley-Davidson Motor Company has announced the recall of 45,589 of its newest cruisers in the United States – which as you might have guessed is its single largest market by far.

Among those models being recalled are the Electric Glide Ultra Classic, Road King, Road King Special, Street Glide, Street Glide Special, Road Glide, and Road Glide Special, as well as the Police Electra Glide and Police Road King – all part of the Touring series, and all from the 2017 model year.

According to the recall notice from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the problem comes down to a potentially improperly clamped engine oil line, which could leak oil onto the rear tire. And that sounds mighty dangerous to us – hence the recall.

To put that total figure into perspective, consider that HDMC sold a nearly identical number (45,784) of vehicles in the United States in the first quarter of this year, of which the Touring series accounted for the largest share – roughly 41 percent, or about 18,000 units. Last year Harley-Davidson sold a total of 260,289 units around the world last year, of which 161,658 were sold in the United States. In other words, the recall affects over half a year’s supply of Touring bikes in-market.