NHTSA complaint: 2003 MID-WEST CHOPPERS MOTORCYCLE — SUSPENSION:REAR
I WAS RIDING MY 2003 MID-WEST CHOPPERS MOTORCYCLE ON AUGUST 29TH, 2003. I WAS TRAVELING ABOUT 65 MPH WHEN MY REAR SWINGARM ASSEMBLY ON MY MOTORCYCLE FAILED CATASTROPHICALLY. I ALMOST WAS THROWN FROM THE MOTORCYCLE DUE TO THE SHIFTING OF THE SWINGARM ASSEMBLY. I CONTACTED THE MANUFACTURER OF THE MOTORCYCLE AND THEY INSTRUCTED ME TO TAKE THE MOTORCYCLE TO A SHOP IN THE AREA - I DID. THE SHOP DISASSEMBLED THE SWINGARM ASSEMBLY AND FOUND THE SWINGARM PIVOT BOLT TO BE SNAPPED JUST WHERE IT FITS INTO THE BUSHING. MID-WEST CHOPPERS (GALESBURG, IL) WAS CONTACTED AND INSTRUCTED ME THAT PRO-STREET FRAMEWORKS (HENRYETTA, OK) WAS RESPONSIBLE. I HAD THE SHOP (DD CUSTOMS, GURNEE, IL) CONTACT PSFW AND PSFW ADMITTEDLY HAD ISSUES WITH THEIR "TRADITIONAL V-STYLE" SWINGARM ASSEMBLY AND SAID THEY WOULD SEND A NEW SPACER AND BOLT. AFTER SEEING THE NEW SPACER AND BOLT, IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THIS FIX PROBABLY WOULD NOT MAKE A DIFFERENCE AND WOULD PUT ME IN JUST AS MUCH RISK AS BEFORE. I AM NOW STUCK WITH AND $30,000 MOTORCYCLE THAT IS QUESTIONABLY SAFE AT BEST. MID-WEST CHOPPERS (S. LHEUREUX) INSTRUCTED ME THAT THIS WAS A BAD BATCH FROM PSFW AND THEY WERE WORKING TO RECALL SOME OF THOSE ASSEMBLIES. I HAVE NEVER RECEIVED ANY CORRESPONDENCE REGARDING A RECALL. SOMEONE WILL MOST LIKELY DIE BECAUSE OF THIS SWINGARM ASSEMBLY - ONE THAT HAS BEEN SOLD TO NUMEROUS INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE COMPLETELY UNAWARE OF THIS SITUATION. PLEASE HELP ME PREVENT ANY FUTURE FATALITIES DUE TO THIS UNSAFE PRODUCT. THE VIN IS [
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration — Office of Defects Investigation