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Harley-Davidson recalls more than 45,000 touring bikes for oil clamp issue

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harley davidson 2017 touring model oil clamp recall 17 hd road glide ultra 1 large
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Due to possible oil line clamp installation errors, Milwaukee-based Harley-Davidson recalled 45,589 2017 touring models, according to Motorcycle.com. Nine incidents including two crashes allegedly occurred due to detached oil cooler lines. One rider had minor injuries.

The recall is for 2017 model year Electra Glide Ultra Classic, Road King, Road King Special, Street Glide, Street Glide Special, Road Glide, Road Glide Special, Police Electra and Police Road King motorcycles manufactured from July 2, 2016, to May 9.

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Harley-Davidson dealers will check out the motorcycles in the recall. If they find incorrectly installed oil cooler line clamps dealers will correct the problem free of charge. The recall is expected to begin Tuesday, according to the Milwaukee-Wisconsin Journal Sentinel. The Milwaukee newspaper also had a different number, reporting the total number of recalled motorcycles is about 57,000.

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If the oil line comes loose, it can spew hot engine oil directly in front of the rear tire.

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“This is a voluntary recall in the interest of customer safety,” Harley said in a statement.

Last year, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) investigated 430,000 2008 through 2011 Harley-Davidson motorcycles with anti-lock braking systems after receiving 43 complaints, three crash reports, and reports of two injuries.

According to the Journal Sentinel, in the investigation regulators cited the possibility that riders who said their brakes failed without warning had neglected to change the brake fluid every two years, the recommended maintenance interval.

One rider said when his brakes failed, he crashed into a garage door. Neither the 2016 investigation nor the current oil cooler line clamp recall by Harley-Davidson was an NHTSA product safety recall.

Motorcycle.com reported that the oil line clamp issue was first detected on March 7 when a line detached while a dealer was testing a bike on a dynamometer. The initial review was closed April 13 but opened after a week when Harley-Davidson received a report of an oil line detachment that resulted in a crash. Further investigation of customer contact records and warranty reports turned up the field reports including the two crashes and one injury.

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