Harley Announces Recall of 13,400 Bikes

MILWAUKEE (AP) -- Harley-Davidson Inc. issued a voluntary safety recall on 2006 model Dyna series motorcycles built between June 9 and Oct. 19 due to a transmission defect.

The company said late Tuesday the recall affects some 13,400 motorcycles and is expected to cost less than $5 million, which it will make reservations for in the fourth quarter.

Harley-Davidson also said it expects to meet its previously announced wholesale shipment target of 329,000 motorcycles for 2005.

The Milwaukee-based company said it will provide owners with free pickup and delivery and will make recall kits, which include three redesigned transmission components, available at dealerships starting the week of Dec. 12.

The defect may allow the motorcycles to go into a false neutral position even though the neutral indicator light is illuminated, it said.

"If that happens, the transmission could engage into first or second gear unexpectedly," Harley-Davidson spokesman Bob Klein said Wednesday.

Two accidents related to the problem were reported, but none resulted in injury, Klein said.

The defect resulted from a design flaw in the six-speed transmission, which replaced the five-speed on the Dyna to make for a smoother ride at highway speeds and increase fuel efficiency, Klein said.

The redesign also resulted in a change to the front forks, chassis and a wider rear tire.

Shipments of the 2006 Dyna had been delayed but resumed after a change to production, he said.

Harley-Davidson shares rose $1.20, or 2.2 percent, to $55.67 in Wednesday afternoon trading on the New York Stock Exchange, amid a general gain in market prices on optimism over consumer spending this holiday season.

"Thats the most important thing about a bike is does it do what you need it to do. My only suggestion I would say across the board for bikes is if you can get it in your size, buy a Metzler tire. The best wet/dry weather tire I have ever been on."

Yeah, I had a Metzler Tourance rear on my bike, and it really was that good. Lasted well and had great stick, in all weather. Expensive, though, like CDN$260 at the dealer where I got it, plus installation. I've gone through a couple of Dunlop D607s since then, but they don't stick as well, especially in the wet, but they're only CDN$170. Probably being pennywise and pound foolish, but I go through quite a few tires.

My bike at Meat Cove, Cape Breton:
I have one with me in it, but I'm even uglier than my bike ;)

Okay, the bucket term was what got me.

I just had to replace the tappets on my 96s&s a mechanic I had working for me put them in and had them slightly off. The tappet boxes broke and scarred them up pretty good. I was fairly ticked off about it and hate having to go back and correct my guys mistakes.

I guess you can call it too much American bike syndrome because I just call them tappets, or you can call me retard since it all seems pretty evident now. ;)

I always try and suggest to anyone buying a tire to go with Metzler. Most people cringe at the price but when it comes down to it and only having two tires to keep you upright it's the best deal.

That pic is awesome. You ride with a lot more stuff than I ever do. I have this weir habit of when I travel far on a bike I will mail my stuff to a hotel or whereever I will be staying at. This keeps me from having to lug too much with me. This way I can just have the basic, warmth and rain protection to worry about. One day when I break down and get a geezer glide I will be able to just have all my stuff with me. :)

"That pic is awesome. You ride with a lot more stuff than I ever do"

Thanks. I've actually taken almost that exact same picture on two occasions, two years apart. This is the better one.

Yeah, I do tend to overpack when traveling, but I like having all my crap with me. The tankbag I like for the map pocket and as a convenient place to keep my rain jacket, camera and other odds and ends. Oh, and my electric vest - those things can't be beat when the weather turns cold unexpectedly. The big tailbag in the pic has my sheepskin seat cover on it, drying out from the sudden thunder shower we hit earlier. It's got a bunch of other junk in it - cable lock, binoculars, Honda spray polish and cleaner (that stuff's excellent for faceshields and bike cleaning), chain lube, blue shop towels, first aid kit, jacket liner and what all else I can't remember now. And then I've got 4 or 5 days worth of clothing changes, shoes, sweats, and so on in the hard bags, since they're completely waterproof. Oh yeah, in the tailsection of the bike I've got the stock toolkit plus a 12" breaker bar and several big sockets for the axles and such, tire plug kit and a small 12v compressor.

Probably way too much stuff, really, and the bike probably weighs nearly 100 lbs more loaded for travelling. I like to be prepared for all eventualities, and you never know what to expect on tour in June in Atlantic Canada. I saw temps from 45 to 95 degrees on that trip, but never did need the e-vest. Some of the adventure-touring guys carry way more stuff, if you can believe it. One guy's got more gadgets on his dash and handlebars than I've got in my den - GPS, satellite radio, CB, variable heat controllers, electronic cruise, and so on.

You should have seen my bike when I had it loaded for camping, too. All that stuff plus a tent, sleeping pad, sleeping bag and pillow.

hahahaha, good lord where did you fit on the bike? I will stick with my plan of sending my stuff where I need it. I haven't ridden up in Canada though I did have a guy show up who had ridden from Alaska and stoped at my shop for a new tire before he took off to go back. My hope is to get a ride down through Mexico again within the next couple of yers. I bet it's beautiful up North but I am too afraid of the cold, I guess. I dont have electric vests and stuff like that, I am more of a barbarian I guess. I have long underwear, multiple socks, gloves and face masks. I guess I most likely wouldn't be able to hand with you guys cuz your type of riding sounds more like Ironman stuff. I am shivering just thinking about it.

I just slotted into the middle of it all. I have good gear to protect me from the elements, so the elements aren't too bad. I haven't done anything too extreme personally, though. Maybe 100 km of dirt road at a time and riding all day in the rain on the way home from the east coast - every time I've been down there so far. I'm originally from Halifax/Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, which is why I keep ending up down there. I know guys, and a woman, actually, who have done the trip up to Prudhoe Bay or across the Trans-Labrador highway, but I haven't had the guts to do it myself.

But seriously, if you do any riding in cool conditions at all, an electric vest is great. A lot less bulky than sweater, and more effective. Combine with a light sweatshirt and you're comfy in temps you'd be only tolerably warm in with sweaters and stuff under your jacket. And basic ones, live I've got are cheap, like under $100. And they fold up small enough that you could realistically have it with you all the time. The one I've got draws 60 watts, I think, which all but the weakest electrical systems should be able to handle.

If you ever decide to come up this way, don't worry, even the east coast and somewhat more northerly areas are generally pretty decent in the summer. Stinking hot and sticky around here, though. Whereabouts are you? Sounds like yer down south, maybe?

Nice, cleaning looking bikes. That top one looks a little uncomfortable to sit on, though ;) Did the seat vibrate off? (just kidding, really) That 113 ci one must really scoot from a stop.

This was my last bike. I bought it because it looks very much like the GPz550 I wanted when I was in high school, but couldn't afford. I had an execrable Yamaha XS400 instead that was little better than Prince's bike up above.

I actually had the seat off because I had just finished putting it back together. I wanted to rake it 5degrees so I went two in the neck and have three in the trees(no pic yet though). The trail is solid this way and I can run a taller front tire if I decide to. I have a seat that I made(my first venture in that area) and it's pretty nice though plain because I just covered it in leather with no design.

Thats a good riding position on the ZRX and it also has more of the nekkid look which I personally like.

The 113 is a very very strong motor and I went with a five speed and changed sprocket size to accomadate a better highway ride. It still has a great takeoff though just because of all the displacement. The bike without the seat has the 96 while I had the frame down and was raking it I sent off the motor and had it trued up again along with increasing the size of the valves. I put the cams in when I got it back. I have only ridden it about a mile and I bent a pushrod seeing what it had but that will be put back together tomorrow.

They're both good looking bikes, but I think I like the 96 better. The colour, the style, it's more the sort of thing I would go for. Might just be that the big one is predominately white, never my favourite colour on a bike.

I think I'd enjoy those engines, but a more standard-like riding position like the ZRX would be more to my taste. The V-Strom actually is even more upright and the pegs lower and more forward, with higher bars, than the ZRX. Think (really) big dirt bike. I must admit my knees would appreciate some highway pegs to kick my feet out on would be nice, though, on those long days in the saddle.

I should just say something about the V-Strom before I sign off for the night. I really like it, except when I'm looking at it from some (most?) angles. The headlight area says sportbike, except that they're about 6" higher than they would be on a sport bike. The fairing is angular and awkward from some angles, but works fairly well. The super tall windshield (12" over stock) I added, for weather protection. It's silly looking but it works. Other than that I added the bags and the racks they mount on, heated grips, and the little smoked plexi things that extend the fairing.

But the engine is good. It's based on the TL1000 engine, built to challenge (never successfully) Ducati's 998 superbike v-twin (90 degree). It's been retuned and puts about 90 HP and 75 ft-lbs of torque to the rear wheel. It's not a real powerhouse but has a pretty flat torque curve, staying over 50 from 3000 to 9000 rpm, and over 60 from 4000 to 8000. It's pretty strong, and the bike's only 475 lbs or so, but nothing like yours off the line, I'm sure.

Overall it's been a really good bike for touring on and carving up the twisties (at a half-sane pace), and the engine is very satisfying. It's enjoyable to ride but not exactly the sort of thing I can have any sort of emotional attachment to. My ZRX, every time I walked through the garage in the winter I had to stop and look at it for a minute. This one, well look at it, it's grey! I've got my eye on the new Yamaha FZ-1. It should have a comparable riding position to the ZRX, more wind protection (still a naked engine, though), and over 130 RWHP, mid 400s weight. And it looks pretty sexy, especially in red, IMO. All the high tech go-fast stuff, of course :)

But here I am rambling on and a lot of this is probably as, how shall I say, off the point of what bikes are about to you as stretched headstocks and such is to me. But I think the same basic drive is behind it - we're gear heads, right? We like things that go boom and go fast with shiny bits and trick parts. We're just going about it a bit differently.

I ran one of those old double tanks on my first Harley – a 1957 Sportster. I had both sides for gas. Talk about a great reserve. Along with the big, fat ’58 Hog headlight, hardtail and candy apple red over gold base paint it looked pretty good. Wish I could find the old pictures.
It also had the manual spark advance. Younger guys would ask if they could start it (they all seemed to have electric start). Some of us older types would grab a beer, kick back and smile as the kid would either fly over the buck horns or wrench his knee because they never heard of retarding the spark before kicking it over.

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