NHTSA complaint: 2009 HARLEY-DAVIDSON FXSTB — TIRES
I HAD NOTICED A CUPPING TIRE WEAR ON THE FRONT AND REAR TIRES THAT SEEMED STRANGE AT LESS THAN 5000 MILES. I DID NOT THINK THIS WAS THAT DANGEROUS AT THE TIME BECAUSE I HAD NOT HAD ANY SUDDEN STOPS PRIOR. I DID START NOTICING A TIRE NOISE JUST DAYS BEFORE THE ACCIDENT. SINCE IT WAS JUST 8 MILES TO WORK AND ON A FAIRLY SAFE ROUTE,I CONTINUED TO RIDE THE BIKE THINKING I WAS GOING TO GET A FEW MORE MILES OUT OF THESE TIRES BEFORE I HAD TO REPLACE THEM. SUDDENLY, AFTER I TURNED ONTO ANOTHER ROAD FROM A HIGHWAY FEEDER A VAN CROSSED MY LANE TAKING A LEFT TURN .I WAS GOING ABOUT 25 TO 30MPH WITH ABOUT 30 TO 40 FEET TO STOP IN. THE PREMATURE CUPPING WEAR ON THE TIRES CAUSED THE TIRES TO BOUNCE AND LOCK-UP.THE TIRE TO ROAD SURFACE TRACTION WAS SO POOR THAT THE BIKE DID NOT EVEN ATTEMPT TO SLOW DOWN. IN THIS DISTANCE WITH GOOD TIRES, THIS ACCIDENT WOULD NOT HAVE EVER HAPPENED. AFTER I WAS RELEASED FROM THE HOSPITAL, I FIND OUT ONLINE THAT DUNLOP PUT OUT BULLETINS ON THIS TIRE ON DIFFERENT SIZES BUT NOT MINE FOR THE SAME PROBLEM THAT I WAS HAVING. SAME TIRE/DIFFERENT SIZE. THAN I READ BLOGS/FORUMS ABOUT THE PREMATURE TIRE CUPPING THAT THESE TIRE ARE EXPERIENCING.THESE TIRES NEED TO BE RECALLED AND PEOPLE NEED TO BE WARNED BEFORE MORE PEOPLE HAVE TO GO THOUGH WHAT I DID IN RECOVERY AND LEARNING HOW TO WALK AGAIN ONE YEAR LATER. IF ANYONE ELSE FEELS THAT THE DUNLOP D407F TIRE CAUSED THERE ACCIDENT THAN BLOG IT ONLINE AN IN THE HARLEY DAVIDSON FORUMS. I WOULD LIKE TO READ YOUR STORIES.THAN
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration — Office of Defects Investigation