Harley-Davidson Recalls 2015 Tri-Glide FLHTCUTG to Fix Rear Brake Master Cylinder that was Assembled with an Incorrect Piston

Harley-Davidson Motor Company (Harley-Davidson) is recalling certain model year 2015 Tri-Glide FLHTCUTG motorcycles manufactured July 14, 2014, to October 15, 2014.

The affected motorcycles have a rear brake master cylinder assembled with an incorrect piston. This piston may not provide the proper support and may allow a tear in the primary cup.

If the primary cup develops a tear it will decrease the brake performance, increasing the risk of a vehicle crash.

1,560 units are affected.

Check out my Motorcycle Recalls feature for more details.

Harley-Davidson Recalls 2014 Tri-Glide Ultra for an Excessive Steering Angle Problem

Harley-Davidson Motor Company (Harley-Davidson) is recalling certain model year 2014 Trike motorcycles manufactured July 24, 2013, through September 2, 2013.

Due to an incorrectly machined part, the motorcycle may have an excessive steering angle allowing the inner fairing to contact the rear brake fluid reservoir resulting in a loss of brake fluid. Additionally, the steering damper may be damaged.

436 units are affected.

Check out my Motorcycle Recalls feature for more details.

Harley-Davidson Reveals Project Rushmore Features for 2014

Just saw an interview on the CBS Morning Show with the CEO of Harley-Davidson. He was talking about the "Project Rushmore" motorcycles that are part of the 2014 lineup. I'd been hearing about Project Rushmore but never seemed to be able to get through to their website. I tried again and got in.

They have a fancy video that displays a bunch of new Harley features. I went to my Motorcycle Views Harley-Davidson models page that lists all the models and updated it to include the 2014 models.

Turns out that the Project Rushmore features are confined to the Touring models and the Tri Glide Trike.

So, take a look at the complete list of 2014 Harley-Davidson models and see what the Motor Company has to offer for 2014. Take a look.

Some Aging Motorcyclists Want Motorcycle Hearses and Facebook Too

Aging motorcycle riders love their motorcycles and, increasingly, their social media participation. Some want to use social media as part of their own funeral services. Some even want to be carried out in hearses pulled by motorcycles. Here's a story by Peter Gray of NPR.org that shows how all these elements came together for one such motorcyclist. Here's a quote:

"Old Aristocracy Hill isn't a part of Springfield, Illinois that draws a lot of attention. The quiet neighborhood dates back to before the Civil War, its historic homes now carefully preserved by proud business owners. But outside a stately funeral home, a large black-and-chrome Harley-Davidson motorcycle trike pulls out of the parking lot, towing a matching casket in its glass-sided trailer. It's not something you would expect to see, but it's exactly what 67-year-old Lew Bird says his friend Dave Rondelli wanted: one last ride." -- Peter Gray, NPR.org

Read more and, if you like, click the top of the story to hear an audio version.

Motorcycle Picture of the Week - Doc Shumway

Here are my Pictures of the Week as displayed on the Motorcycle Views Website. These pictures are taken from the Moto Pic Gallery. See Doc Shumway with his 2010 Harley-Davidson Tri-Glide under Men on Motorcycles. There are no Bikes Only, Trikes Only, or Women on Motorcycles this week. We need more pictures of men and women with their motorcycles. Get your picture in. For details, see Motorcycle Pictures of the Week.

Harley-Davidson Recalls 2009-2012 Touring, CVO Touring, and Trikes for Brake Switch Heat Problem

Harley-Davidson is recalling certain model year 2009-2012 touring, CVO touring and trike vehicles manufactured from June 6, 2008, through September 16, 2011. 25 models are included in the recall. The rear brake light switch may be exposed to excessive heat from the exhaust system. The number of units affected is 250,757. Check out my Motorcycle Recalls feature for more details.

Harley-Davidson Introduces the Tri Glide Ultra Classic for 2009 - a Trike

Yesterday, Harley-Davidson introduced its models for 2009. One of them is a motorcycle trike called the Tri Glide Ultra Classic.

Harley-Davidson hasn't made a trike since the Servi-Car that started out as a vehicle that could be attached to a customer's car so a mechanic could deliver the car and then use the Servi-Car to return to the garage.

Later the Servi-Car had other uses mainly for police use. Here's a YouTube video of a 1954 Servi-Car now owned by an enthusiast. He shows off the trike with the siren blaring.

Servi-Cars were made from 1932-1973. 35 years have elapsed since then without a trike in the product line -- until now.

The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel has an article by Rick Barrett that gives more details about the new Tri Glide trike. Here's an excerpt:

"There’s a Harley-Davidson coming for those of us seeking more comfort or who have a fear of falling. Harley-Davidson Inc. has introduced a motorcycle for those of us with a taste for comfort or a fear of falling. The Tri Glide Ultra has three wheels and a brand-new chassis design. It retails for $29,000. The maker of Fat Boy and Softail bikes has sized up its customer base and found that many riders would rather be on three-wheelers than two-wheel behemoths that are too tall and too heavy for some people. Starting in the next few weeks, Harley will begin offering three-wheel touring bikes called trikes." -- Rick Barrett

Here's what Harley-Davidson has to say about the Tri Glide in a Press Release on its Website.

It appears that trikes are now more than just kits added to an existing motorcycle. They have attained a new level of acceptance as Harley-Davidson embraces them in its product line and, more importantly, backs them up with Harley-Davidson service.

I've been riding a motorcycle trike for eight years. My wife got hers before I got mine. I wrote an article about her experience in getting her trike.

In the beginning there weren't too many of us out there and we got a lot of attention on the road, in parking lots, and especially at gas pumps. I even wrote an article with standard questions I get and my answers.

I also wrote a How To about learning to ride a trike.

Then I created a Trike Picture Gallery.

Maybe trike riders are becoming mainstream after all. Thanks Harley-Davidson. Let's hope that Harley's 42 year run of Servi-Cars will be surpassed by a 50 year run of Tri Glides.

Picture ©2008 Harley-Davidson