Recently, Harley-Davidson has been in the news for revealing its first production electric motorcycle, the Livewire. The Milwaukee company also revealed two new electric bike concepts at the CES 2019. Now, it’s once again in the news but perhaps not for a very good reason.
Which Harley-Davidson models would be affected?
Harley-Davidson has issued a recall for its Street 500 and 750 models in the USA and Canada. Yep, that’s correct. Last year in August, we witnessed a worldwide recall of a large number of Harley-Davidson motorcycles because of some brake problems. This time the recall is related to the brakes again.
Why did Harley-Davidson issue this recall?
As per the reports, both the Street 500 and 750 could suffer from a brake problem that could lead to the brake pads in continuous contact with the disc or rotor. This could be a result of a corroded caliper piston. It is quite obvious that this would not only lead to premature wear of both the brake pads and the rotor, but it would also affect the performance and fuel efficiency of the motorcycle.
It is also being said that there is a probability that when the brakes are applied the piston could fail to retract to its original position because of the rust. This would lead to the brakes being continuously applied for longer than the rider would want which could be dangerous.
Harley-Davidson has mentioned that owners residing in areas like coastal locations, where the chances of rust being formed on metal parts are higher, could be the ones to face this brake problem.
What’s the solution?
As of now, 850 units of Street 500 and 750 could be affected by this issue in Canada. There is no official number as to how many models have been affected in the USA. But it is confirmed that units manufactured in 2016, 2017, 2018, and 2019 are the ones. Owners of the affected models will be contacted and receive a free of charge replacement of both the front and rear brake calipers.
