Harley-Davidson is recalling 4,520 motorcycles due to an ignition switch problem that can switch to off position with the engine's vibration.
Safety regulators have forced some automobile companies to issue recalls for ignition switch issues recently. But the ignition switch recall is not limited to car makers. Harley-Davidson, the renowned heavy-weight bike maker issued a voluntary recall on Friday to fix faulty ignition switches in 4,520 motorcycles around the world.
According to the documents published by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the recall affects Harley's 2014 FXDL Dyna Low Rider bikes in the U.S. and other countries. Most of the vehicles, more than 3,300 of them, are in the U.S. The motorcycles included in the recall are manufactured from January 6, 2014 to June 19, 2014, NHTSA said.
Harley-Davidson found that the engine vibration can cause the ignition switch to shift from the "IGN" position to "ACC" or accessory only mode, which shuts down the engine. This may lead to stalls and even crashes. The problem was found in bikes with engines modified to rev higher than 5,600 RPMs, which causes the engine mount bracket to vibrate excessively, AP reports.
The American motorcycle making company did not receive any reports of injuries or crashes related to the recall.
Owners of affected bikes are being contacted by Harley-Davidson for a free inspection and repair for their motorcycles. The bike maker will replace the engine mount bracket assembly and ignition switch knob to overcome the issue permanently.
Harley-Davidson issued another recall in July affecting more than 66,000 Touring and CVO Touring motorcycles for a defect in the front brake lines. The problem was highly risky for riders as it would lock up the front wheel in moving vehicles, increasing the chances of an accident.
