The threads of the banjo bolt in the front brake are likely to corrode on the affected Harley models that could cause loss in brake fluid and would leave the front brakes useless resulting in a crash.
In a statement issued by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), Harley-Davidson has recalled 19,105 units of the Dyna and Softail models that are reported to have corrosion in the brake line banjo bolt in the front master cylinder. The recall affects models that were manufactured between 22nd August 2011 and 24th February 2012. This is Harley’s third major recall exercise after the FLS Softail and TriGlide models were affected in the past few months.
As reported by the US safety agency NHTSA, the threads of the brake line banjo bolt are susceptible to corrosion and could result in a sudden loss of brake fluid, increasing the risk of a crash. Considering that front brakes do majority of the stopping duties, the issue is rather serious. Nonetheless, NHTSA reports to have not recorded any possible accidents or injuries due to the faulty front brake.
The recall will commence from 14th January onwards and Harley-Davidson has already notified the affected owners in the US. Dealerships will inspect and flush the front brake master cylinder on the bike and if necessary will replace the same free of cost. The manufacturer however believes that only a few models will need the master cylinder replacement, while the rest will need a new bonjo bolt. There is no word on whether Indian bikes are affected although all models (except the Street 750) are sourced from the company’s US plant.
