A few weeks ago we went to Miami, Florida, to attend Harley-Davidson’s traditional Press Experience, which this year has been dubbed “The Art Of Custom” in order to underline the strong connection between the Milwaukee-based manufacturer and the custom world, something that has always been at the core of the ‘magic’ surronding this legendary brand. There can be no denial in fact that the custom culture as we know it today basically took off in the US in the 50s and 60s thanks to the famous H-D Twins of that era, and from there it spread all over the world. However, this is something we will delve into later on. Base of operations for the whole event is a nice hotel in Miami Beach, where a demo-fleet made of almost every model of the current H-D range silently awaits.

On the first day of the event, the Harley-Davidson staff greeted us in a nice conference room where we were given a short overview of the glorious H-D history, from the humble beginning in a barn in Milwaukee in 1903 till the grandeur of today, proven by the fact that the famous bar-and-shield logo is the only motorcycle-related brand that made it in the highly rated ‘Top 100 Best Global Brands’ chart, published at the beginning of the year by Interbrand, one of the world’s leading brand consultancy. Then we got introduced to the two most important additions to H-D’s 2012 line-up: the wicked Softail Slim, powered by the brand new 1690 cc (103 cubic inches) air cooled twin that is bound to become H-D main engine for the forthcoming years, and the slightly quieter Sportster Seventy-Two (pictured above), equipped with a 1200 cc V-Twin engine with electronic injection.

After a quick briefing concerning the schedule of the event, it is finally time to jump on the bikes and move to what will be the first stop of our ‘Press Experience’, Wynwood Walls, an outdoor mural permanent exhibit within the well-known Wynwood Art District of Miami. The demo-fleet that Harley-Davidson provided for this event was nothing short of ‘impressive’: the aforementioned new models as well as several variants of Sportster, Dyna, Softail, Touring, V-Rod etc etc. Basically all models from the current H-D line up were there, and seeing this whole lot lined up under the sun, with all the chrome bits shining, really was a pretty evocative view. Read the rest of the article and see all the pictures after the jump.

The Art Of Custom: Wynwood Walls

As Europeans, riding in Miami on a Harley is quite an inspiring experience, although you cannot help but feel a little estranged seeing all the locals riding with no helmet on. We could actually smile when running into a long-bearded fellow H-D rider with bare chest, bandana and sun-glasses, but seeing exactly the same thing on a Ducati 848 or a Gixer (and with the girlfriend in a bikini sitting at the back) was actually a little shocking.

Once in Wynwood we parked the bikes in front of an art center where H-D had set a nice exposition focusing on the link between their motorcycles and the world of customization. Introducing us to the nuances of this relationship are some of the most important executives of the company, namely Mark-Hans Richer (Senior Vice President and Global Chief Marketing Officer for Harley-Davidson) and, especially, the legendary Willie G. Davidson.

For those into H-D things, this charismatic character needs no introduction, but to the benefit of those who aren’t, let’s just say that Willie G. - as he likes to be called - is one of the key figures in H-D history: grandson to William A. Davidson (one of the founders of the company) and son to William H. Davidson (the second president in H-D history), in 1981 he basically saved the brand from bankruptcy, leading a squad of 13 other executives who bought it back from the previous owner and led it to the worldwide success that it still enjoys today. At that time we did not know that Willie G. was about to retire (a decision that was made public a few weeks later), but we will get back to that when we’ll publish the interview we conducted with the man himself.

View Harley-Davidson in Wynwood - Art Of Custom 2012 photo gallery

Right after the meetings with H-D big boys, we got introduced to David “Lebo” Le Batard, a famed local artist who is also responsable for the exposition that emphasizes the bond between Harley Davidson and art. And, by extension, the custom world. Lebo is one of the street artists that 20 years ago was at the forefront of the artistic revolution that turned Wynwood from a dodgy and disreputable neighborhood (as he described it) into the modern, bohemian area full of art centers, studios and museums it is today. Just to put that into the right perspective, graffitism was illegal there two decades ago, while now the local administration encourages it by offering the various buildings of the area to the artists, as ‘empty canvas’.

Lebo also explained the evident relationship linking art and customization, two forms of expression meant to underline the creativity and personality of the individual. One perfect example of this relationship is the collection of customized H-D tanks on display at the center, some of which were decorated by Lebo himself. He spent quite some time introducing us to each and every piece, that you can also admire in our dedicated photo gallery.

The rest of the day is dedicated to the pictures, and we have to say that H-D and Wynwood Walls surely makes for a perfect match (as you can see in the shots). Then it is time for a quick visit to downtown Miami for more pictures, but there is not much time to linger on that as the following day we are supposed to go to Key West, the most southern island of the Florida Keys and home to the southernmost point in the Continental United States. Program says departure is scheduled at 6:30 am, so we better get some rest.

View the full 2012 Art of Custom speakers photo gallery
View the full Harely-Davidson - Wynwood fuel tanks photo gallery

From Miami Beach to Key West

Miami Beach looks and sounds pretty quiet on early mornings: just a handful of bathers and a couple of panda cars can be spotted on the white sand of its gorgeous beach while something like thirty dedicated bikers are heading toward an impressive row of glossy and untarnished Harley-Davidson motorcycles, once again lined up under the hot Florida sun. As previously pointed out, the destination of our trip is Key West, the last island of the Florida Keys that is roughly 270 km away from Miami (about 168 miles) and can be reached through the Overseas Highway, the lower parts of the U.S. Route 1 that connects all of the islands making up the Florida Keys and then goes up for 3,800 km (2,360 miles) reaching the Canadian border.

Getting out of Miami early in the morning - and with little traffic - gives us the chance to better appreciate the beauty of this city, which offers tall skyscrapers (usually white), palms, and an unbelievable sea that couldn’t get any more blue than that. Getting around Miami in order to reach its south side also allowed us to take a look at the American life away from the big city lights, while we could not help but notice how many of the vehicles we met on our way are basically either rare or pretty unknown in Europe. The first refuelling stop happened in Key Biscayne: in Florida petrol is priced at about 3.50-3.60 $ per gallon, which is approximately 0.75 € per litre, and hearing an American member of the H-D staff complaining about the recent rises (”which have crippled the local economy”) just brings a smile on our faces.

As its name suggests, the Overseas Highway is actually a long motorway suspended over the sea that every now and then bumps into the occasional little island with its own little town. We got split in two groups - to make the whole thing easier to handle and less of a hassle for the other motorists - and told to follow a powerful Harley-Davidson Touring Electra Glide Classic ridden by a member of the H-D crew, who will make sure that nobody will speed up. Another two members of the crew close the group, ready to help whoever will lose ground or get lost.

Riding with the sea on both sides it’s a pretty unusual experience, but the fact that the Overseas Highway is basically a neverending straight (as well as the strict speed limits) did not allow us to really test the various models that we rode. On the other hand though, this is exactly the kind of habitat for which these machines were designed in the first place: just the fact that our road-trip was so long helped us to better understand some of H-D key features: comfort is always there, thanks to a riding position that is absolutely ergonomic and not tiring, the saddle feels great and the bike (any of them) is as reactive as this kind of conditions require.

Last but not least, there’s also that H-D magic, that is made of pride, history and that trademark sound that comes out of its iconic V-Twins: more than once we got greeted on the streets by the bypassers, and at almost every traffic light we could see somebody picking up his mobile or camera to take a pic of our noisy parade, not to mention all the other Harley-Davidson riders we met on our way to Key West, who never failed to show us some sign of approval. What’s really interesting about this is that Harley-Davidson riders really are a motley bunch: we saw long haired, tattoed machos and hot blondes, old bald fatties and fine, athletic youngsters, the demographics of the H-D enthusiasts are so variegated that it would be pointless to associate this brand to a certain limited category of people. And this fact alone says a lot about how much Harley-Davidson is entrenched in the American culture.

Key West is a cheerful and quiet holiday resort that is just perfect to get some rest after a four-hour long ride (not consecutive, of course). Surrounded by a jaw-dropping sea and dotted with plenty of palm-trees, with amazing white beaches and a warm weather throughout the whole year, we can now understand what spurred Ernest Hemingway to make it his home place for so many years. After lunch, a visit to the famous Key West Buoy (that marks the most southern place in the US) is simply mandatory: thinking that from there Cuba is just 90 miles away is kind of odd, but we have no time to think too much about that as we would like to make it back to Miami by the sunset.

View the full Harley-Davidson in Key West - Art Of Custom 2012 photo gallery
View the full H-D on the way to Key West - Art Of Custom 2012

By the time we got there to sun was already gone, but that wasn’t too bad as driving by night in a very illuminated Miami turned out to be one of the highlights of the day. After so much straight you just cannot help but feel a little bored, but the slightly twisty motorways around Miami made for a nice change of pace. Once we recognized the surroundings and figured out how to make it back to the hotel, the time to leave the Electra Glide behind had finally come: it was time to try some proper acceleration, some chicane, something similar to a leanig angle and so forth. Not much perhaps, but enough to get our much desevred happy ending.

We would like to thank the whole Harley-Davidson staff of the 2012 Art of Custom.

The Harley-Davidson XLCR 1000 Cafe Racer was conceived in 1977 by Willie G. Davidson, but it did not turn out to be that popular with the public: H-D enthusiast thought it was too sporty, while those into sportsbikes thought it was too… ‘Harley’. The model was equipped with a Ironhead 100o engine made of cast-iron mated to a 4-speed gearbox and delivering 62 hp, which surely wasn’t much in the comparison with the 4-cylinder Japanese bikes of that time.

As it often happens, the bike that once was considered a ugly duckling has now become a much sought-after collectable, and since it was produced for just two years in about 3,000 units, there aren’t many around: a used one might cost more than 15,000 €, while one in mint condition - and all the original bits - could even reach the 30,000€ mark. The unmistakable lines of the original Harley-Davidson XLCR 1000 Cafe Racer struck a chord with many H-D enthusiasts around the world, and this is the reason why French company Jewel Racer has released a kit that can turn a modern XR1200 into a quite loyal rendition (at least aesthetically) of its historic ancestor. Actually, looking closely, it is not difficult to spot quite a few differences between the two bikes, but the feeling and the vintage vibe of the old model are definitely there.

All the parts that make this kit can be bought singularly or as a whole package, at 1,345 €: front fairing and fuel tank cover are priced at 334€ each, saddle plus rear subframe and fairing at 714€ and handlebars at 55€, all of which are finished in black. Not included in the kit are the anodized black Sebring exhaust and the EMC suspension, which would be used for the conversion of the first XR1200, which had a chromed muffler, whereas the XR1200X already comes with a blackened end-can and the more performing Showa shocks. Almost needless to say, the kit is reversible and requires no piercing or modification of any part of the standard motorcycle.

View the full Harley-Davidson XLCR 1000 Cafe Racer by Jewel Racer photo gallery

Two-times World Superbike Champion James Toseland, who retired from racing last year because of a wrist injury sustained during a test in Aragon, has just bought himself a Harley-Davidson. Considering that the man spent most of his life chasing the fastest lap-time possible around the track, the choice sounds kind of odd to the fans, but it actually makes perfect sense.

The 31 years old from Doncaster, South Yorkshire, has recently moved to London and was looking for a bike that looked great, could get him easily across the city and would be a comfortable option for his girlfriend to be taken around as a passenger. Apparently, Toseland went for a brand new Softail Slim and is now planning to test ihs new toy on a coast-to-coast trip in the US, on the iconic Route 66.

“Racing has been my life for a very long time - said Toseland - and I’m lucky to have enjoyed success at the level I did. It opened up opportunities to travel the world and meet a variety of inspirational people. So, when I retired, it seemed strange to not be on two wheels, but I think I’d find it difficult to get on to a sports bike on the road and relax. Getting on a Harley was a totally new experience, but just riding it put a smile on my face and gave me a new perspective on riding. The Harley is a head turner as well as having the convenience factor, plus it‘s comfortable enough to convince my girlfriend - singer Katie Melua - to get on the back!”

via | Visor Down e MCN

The motorcycle featured in these pictures is a special bike based on a 2011 Harley-Davidson Sportster Forty-Eight 1200, and is the brainchild of Mr.Winston Yeh, the creative mastermind behind Tapei-based studio Rough Crafts. The sophisticated Taiwanese design house is specialized in custom motorcycles, but its work can be appreciated in other fields as well, like furniture, graphics and street art.

However, when it comes to custom bikes, these guys just know how to create proper ‘motorcycle art’, and this awesome Sportster Bomb Runner is yet another shining example of their craftsmanship. The model is supposed to be a ’sequel’ to Rough Crafts’s own ‘Iron Guerrilla’, a successful ‘all-black’ special bike they made in 2010 out of a 2009 H-D Sportster Iron 883. As in its predecessor’s case, the ‘Bomb Runner’ is not a disruption of the design of the bike it is based upon, it is more like a menacing and dark fine-tuning of an already brilliant bike.

The tail has been lifted up a little bit thanks to a couple of longer shock-absorbers, that also make room for its original 2-into-1 exhaust system on the right side. The standard tank, front mudguard, yoke and engine casing have been replaced with beautiful new parts made by Rough Crafts itself, all of which coated in a contrasting, classy matt/shiny black paint job. The rims have been supplied by Roland Sands Design (with the mandatory Black Ops finishing) while brakes come from Performance Machine. More details about this model can be found at the official Rough Crafts website.

View the full The Bomb Runner by Rough Crafts photo gallery

Roland Sands, former racer from California, is another one of those well-known names in the custom bikes business. Son of Performance Machine’s founders Perry & Nancy Sands (a well known supplier of custom parts such as wheels, brakes and other accessories) Roland has been a professional racer for 10 years, clinching the AMA 250 GP title in 1998. After a crash left him with no less than 32 broken bones, Mr.Sands left racing to start a new life as a designer of custom parts for Performance Machine as well as building up his own custom motorcycles. His past in the racing world surely had a big influence on Mr.Sands style, and his original creations went on earning him quite a few prestigious awards in the business. The outstanding success led to the birth of his own design company, the notorious RSD (Roland Sands Design), based in Los Alamitos, a small city in Orange County, California.

Just like his buddy Marcus Walz, lately Mr.Sands has been involved in a couple of projects that we were more than happy to warn you about, namely the Yamaha VMAX Hyper Modified series and the unbelievable Desmo Tracker (a dirt track bike powered by the terrifying Desmosedici RR’s 197 hp engine), and, in the same fashion as his German mate, he’s just come out with a new masterpiece based on the forms of his first love: Harley-Davidson. However, this is no ordinary customization as you can never take anything for granted when Mr.Sands is involved. The challenge was to take a 300 kg Softail Blackline and turn it into some sort of dirt-bike that would be totally at ease off-road, and the result is the awesome Blackline Dirt Tracker.

In order to keep the weight as low as possible, Roland got rid of all the frills and unnecessary parts, replacing many original bits with special PM and RSD components. The original fuel tank managed to survive the slashing, but it now has a classy and exclusive RSD Tracker cap and got painted according to a new matt black/shiny white color scheme (with green inserts) created by its maker and turned into reality by renowned specialist Chris Wood from AirTrix. The model uses a Nightster head-light at the front and new tail-light and plate holder from RSD. Find out more about the Blackline Dirt Tracker after the jump.

View the full Softail Blackline Dirt Tracker by Roland Sands photo gallery

The original instrument cluster is mounted on a RSD Cafè XL support, while handelbars are fixed on 1,5” risers and uses Avenger levers and Tracker handles provided again by RSD. The Azteca leather saddle is somewhat reminiscent of the the old H-D WR 750 racer, which used to battle against the Indian Scout in the good old days of dirt racing. Footpegs are from Performance Machine while at the back we have a light RSD Narrowed Vintage mudgard linked to the swing arm.

Most components are Black Ops, which seems to be be quite fashionable these days. The engine uses RSD Clarity and Nostalgia casings and comes with a Clarity air filter, Tracker exhaust system and Fuelpack FI ECU (both of which courtesy of Vance & Hines) and, given its off-road attitude, a skid plate. Obviously, Mr.Sands had to add some spring at the rear that was up for the task, picking up the Progressive 422.

Other highlights of the model include 19″ Judge rims fitted with Goodyear race flat track tires D3616 CD5 front at the front and D1637 CD8 at the rear, RSD brakes with 6-piston calipers at the front and 4-piston calpers at the back by PM. In a nutshell, this bike is yet another masterpiece from Ronald, which surely was the right guy to test it too: the guy you see jumping around on the Balckline Dirt Tracker in this photo gallery is in fact its maker himself. Great job.

After more than 20 years in the business, Marcus Walz has definitely become one of the most established customizers in the scene. Born and bred nearby the Hockenheim circuit and with a past in Moto Cross racing (abruptly cut off by a serious accident), Mr.Walz has since then moved on and managed to become one of the few real household names in the ‘custom community’, with a list of clients that includes the likes of Brad Pitt and Kimi Raikkonen and - especially - a consistent number of awesome masterpieces on two wheels, the most exclusive ones of which can cost you up to 100.000 €. We have recently introduced Mr.Walz’s rendition of the Yamaha V-Max created for the Hyper Modified line, but now it’s time to go back to what he’s mostly known for: drag-racing inspired V-Twin cruisers, and here is the Softail Adrenaline.

So, let’s get this out of the way: this baby obviously doesn’t come cheap. It is priced at almost 50.000 €, but it is top notch quality we are talking about here. Then again, to get yourself a heavily modified Softail you would need to spend almost that sort of cash anyway, thereby if you like extreme custom bikes and you can spend spend spend, this might just be the right bike for you. It took three months to Marcus and his mate Michael Kroheck to come up with the ‘Adrenaline: the frame is a softail WHC that is very similar in size to the one of the Harley-Davidson Softail - meaning that it is not an extreme construction and can suit anyone, even those with are not too familiar with Marcus’s style - while the engine is a 1,650 cc RevTech Evolution with belt drive primary transmission.

Almost needless to say, the whole chassis is elegantly refined and includes upside down forks by Cipriani, and 18″ rims by Rodder fitted with a 130/60 tyre at the front and a 240/40 at the back. The whole bodywork has been designed and made by Walz, while other parts such as brakes, handlebars, handles and footpegs are built in-house too. Being this a hand-made matorcycle, it can be customized in many ways: saddles, mufflers, rims and even the fork can be modified according to the customers’ wishes, but only if they can spend spend spend. Regardless, the Adrenaline is a proper piece of art.

View the full Hardcore Cycles Adrenaline by Marcus Walz photo gallery

Grandson to William A. Davidson (one of the founder of the company) and son to William H. Davidson (who had been the second ever H-D president), Willie G. has always been recognized as one of the key figures in the history of the ‘bar-and-shield’ brand: involved in the styling of all these iconic bikes since 1963, in 1981 he basically saved the brand from bankruptcy when - along with 13 other executives - he bought it back from the AMF Group, then leading it to the worldwide success that H-D still enjoys today.

“Throughout my life, I have been truly fortunate to have the opportunity to marry my passion for design with my love for this amazing brand that runs so deeply in my veins - commented the 78 years old Willie G. - What’s most rewarding has been to see the impact our motorcycles have on the lives of our customers. Everything we do in styling is based on the notion that form follows function, but both report to emotion.”

Harley-Davidson enthusiast Jim Harrel always had a soft spot for trikes, but he had never thought about getting himself one until he got involved in a small accident. Interpreting that as a sign, he looked through the market of the three-wheeled vehicles to find something suitable to his taste, without success. The reason for that is simple: a trike just cannot lean while cornering, and so he teamed up with specialist Too Kool Cycles to make the Trike of his dreams, and the result is this TRT (Tilting Reverse Trike), a conversion kit that would turn any recent H-D tourer into a fully fledged Trike.

We have already seen Harley-Davidson Trikes in the past, some of which made by the Milwaukee-based manufacturer itself, but there are two features that makes the TRT kit stand out: it has the two wheels at the front (and not at the back) and yes, it can actually lean into corners, with an angle of 25 degrees. Moreover, it can be taken off the bike in a matter of hours - allowing the vehicle to go back to its original two wheels configuration at any time - and locks the bike vertically for speeds inferior to 10 km/h (6 mph). Also worth mentioning is the nice ‘nose’ placed in the middle of the axle, which is very reminiscent of the old racing cars of the 50s-60s.

The response to the model has been so overwhelming that Mr.Harrel and Too Kool Cycles decided to make their kit available on the market. The market of this kind of vehicles is definitely on the rise, and we are pretty sure that this product will be able to find its own space in it. At the moment there is not a definitive price for it, but it should end up being between 8,000 and 12,000 dollars.

via | TheKneeSlider

Harley Davidson expands its range for the year 2012 with the addition of two new motorcycles, which follow the recently unveiled Dyna Switchback: they are called Sportster Seventy-Two and Softail Slim. The Sportster seventy-Two somewhat retrieves the legacy of the old Sportster Custom, with a large old school metal spoke wheel at the front and specifically dedicated paint job, whereas the Softail Slim loses the chrome bits in favour of the black color, keeping the frills down to a minimum in order to retain that wicked look that was typical of the 1950s bobbers.

Describing the Seventy-Two, Harley-Davidson emphasizes that the model is inspired by the chopper’s pioneering years, when the bikes used to come with flashy colors and loads of chrome bits, but were also deprived of all the superfluous parts in order to make them sleeker and lighter. In fact, looking at the motorbikes of that period, one cannot help but notice how stripped they were, almost like pushbikes: that style of custom bikes is typically American and was originated in California. One of the most distinctive features of the Sportster Seventy-Two is its Hard Candy Big Red Flake paint, which can be found on the small fuel tank, tail and front mudguard, which covers the big 21″ Dunlop tyre with white side (typical of the custom bikes of the 70s). The model is powered by an air-cooled 1200 cc V-Twin Evolution engine - which we have already seen on all the latest Sportster models - and provides a peak torque of 96 Nm at 3,500 rpm. Besides, it makes use of the advanced Electronic Sequential Port Fuel Injection (ESPFI), which waves goodbye to carburettors and boasts increased reliability and less routine maintenance.

With its big, fat tyres and the minimalistic design, the Softail Slim instead is a real ‘bobber’. It uses certain elements that are more reminiscent of a Sportster (i.e the fuel tank) but everything on this bike seems to underline its essentiality. After all, this is exactly what H-D had in mind when they got started with the project: taking a Softail and put it on a diet. The Softail Slim has a smaller rear wheel with a shorter mud guard, and leaves an empty space between saddle and tank that allows riders to admire the upper side of the engine while traveling. The bike is powered by an air-cooled 1,690 cc Twin Cam 103B unit with Electronic Sequential Port Fuel Injection (ESPFI), which is mated to a Six-Speed Cruise Drive transmission and produces a maximum torque of 132 Nm at 3,250 rpm.

View the full Harley Davidson Softail Slim 2012 photo gallery

Australia’s Deus Ex Machina presents the Bald Terrier, a very nice custom bike based on a harmless ‘07 Harley-Davidson Sportster. The original 21″ and 16″ rims have been replaced with 19″ and 18″ wheels respectively, providing the bike with more front-rear balance, while the rear subframe has been cut and reduced in size, a move that required the fitting of a different saddle as well as a new - though diminutive - mudguard. Moreover, the Bald Terrier 1200 gets new brakes, a Power Commander V fuel injection module, black fork sliders, Performance Machine filters, Storz footpegs and Ikon shocks.

However, what really makes the Bald Terrier 1200 more’ muscular’ than the H-D stock bike it is based upon are its modified Yamaha SR400’s fuel tank and unique Vance & Hines 2-into-1 matt black exhaust system. We are quite sure that the lucky owner of this spectacular one-off was pretty pleased with the work done by the guys from Deus Ex Machina: the Bald Terrier 1200 is indeed magnificent.

View Deus-Ex-Machina Bald Terrier pictures

via | Silodrome and BikeExif

Interbrand is one of the world’s leading brand consultancy, and every year they publish a highly rated ‘Best Global Brands’ chart, basically the Top 100 of the most popular, influential and valuable brands of the planet. And once again, Harley-Davidson is the only motorcylce-releated brand that made it in the chart. This is definitely a great accomplishment for the Milwaukee-based manufacturer, but on the other hand one cannot help but notice an overall negative trend for H-D, which has seen its world-famous logo going down in the chart every year and reach the 100th place in 2011.

Harley Davidson is surely in good company down there (Ferrari for instance is ranked in 99th position), but even though Interbrand estimated a 7% increase in sheer value for the brand, to a company that intends to be not only a mere motorcycle manufacturer but also a ‘life style’ (just think of all the passion surrounding H-D as well as the variety of different products out there bearing the glorious bar-and-shield logo), that downgrade has to sound like an alarm bell. However, we are pretty sure that someone in Milwaukee has taken notice.

via | Interbrand

Harley Davidson is recalling more than 300,000 motorcycles from its Touring, CVO Touring and Trike line, produced between 2009 and 2012. HD clarified that the massive operation is due to a malfunction of the rear brake light switch. It seems that the problem is the excessive heat generated by these models’ exhaust systems, which may cause the rear brake light switch not to activate the lamp when pulling the brakes, or even to activate it when no brake is applied.

Initially it was rumored that the issue could possibly even involve rear brakes themselves, but HD denied such reports, confirming that all of its dealers will fix this problem through the installation of a new rear brake light switch kit, obviously free of charge. Out of all the models subjected to the recall, 250,000 are in the US alone while the remainder is spread across the rest of the world. To see the full list of the models affected, click on the ‘Continue reading’ link below.

Here is the list of models affected by Harley Davidson’s recent recall:

• H-D / FLHP 2009-2012
• H-D / FLHPE 2009-2011
• H-D / FLHR 2009-2012
• H-D / FLHRC 2009-2012
• H-D / FLHT 2009-2010
• H-D / FLHTC 2009-2012
• H-D / FLHTCU 2009-2012
• H-D / FLHTCUSE4 2009
• H-D / FLHTCUSE5 2010
• H-D / FLHTCUSE6 2011
• H-D / FLHTCUSE7 2012
• H-D / FLHTCUTG 2009-2012
• H-D / FLHTK 2010-2012
• H-D / FLHTP 2009-2012
• H-D / FLHX 2009-2012
• H-D / FLHXSE 2010
• H-D / FLHXSE2 2011
• H-D / FLHXSE3 2012
• H-D / FLHXXX 2011
• H-D / FLTR 2009
• H-D / FLTRSE3 2009
• H-D / FLTRU 2010-2012
• H-D / FLTRUSE 2011
• H-D / FLTRX 2010-2012
• H-D / FLTRXSE 2012