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Recall of Harley Softails 2018 to 2023

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Some 2018-2023 Harley Softails Could Have Breaking of Rear Shock Hardware. A fastener could break, causing the rear shock adjuster to loosen and increase the risk of a crash. Harley-Daivdson announced the safety recall on 29 August 2023. They filed the same with US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. On motorcycles that have the faulty fitting, the fastener used on a particular style of rear shock adjuster may potentially fracture. If it breaks, the shock absorber may then make contact with the rear tire. This could increase the risk of tire damage, and potentially lead to a motorcycle crash. Approximately 65,224 bikes may potentially be involved in this recall but not all of them may have this fault. Some of the models from 2018 to 2023 use the affected rear shock adjuster whereas some do not. The motorcycles that were produced between June 28, 2017 and August 7, 2023 are potentially at risk. No VIN number ranges are specified in the official safety recall notice. A warning sign that riders and passengers should look out for is any noise that seems to come from under the seat. When you remove the seat and find a loose shock adjuster, that may be another sign of faulty fastener. When shock adjuster makes contact with the rear tire, riders may notice unusual handling and/or atypical tire wear on the rear tire. Since June 2023, a total of 33 Warranty Claims regarding this issue has been recorded. Softails made after 7 August 2023 do not have this problem. Related accessories from Harley-Davidson have also been separately recalled. Owners may contact Harley-Davidson customer service at 1-800-258-2464. Additionally, owners may contact the NHTSA Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153) or go to www.nhtsa.gov. NHTSA’s number for this recall is 23V-591. The motorcycle model years, models, […]

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100 WFC: Hilary by Gearhead

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100 word fiction contest continues…. #100WFC Hilary by Gearhead We rode from Northern Cal. The rain came down in buckets. I pulled off under the redwoods in Big Sur. My wife crawled into the back seat of a car. I threw a sleeping bag on the ground under a leaking makeshift lean-to. It didn’t stop. The fog threatened like a dense cloud of gray paint, and my wife said, “It won’t stop until late afternoon.” We had to ride. We packed up and pull out in the rain moments before the murkiness engulfed the highway. We fought downpours, the cloud of doom, wrecked cars, 18-wheelers, dead animals and limited vision until we caught the glimmer of Santa Barbara just before nightfall. We slipped the veil of death once more. * * * * * * * * Yup, its a weekly contest open to all. Just sign up for the free weekly newsletter by clicking here. Then email us your 100 word limit fiction to bandit@bikernet.com

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EPA to Allow Summer Sales of E15

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Friday, the Biden Administration issued an emergency waiver allowing for the sale of E15 from June 1st to September 15th. Restrictions on fuel volatility have limited the sale of E15 to the months outside of summer. This move by the Biden Administration is an attempt to appease lawmakers from corn producing states, who for years have lobbied for year-round use of the fuel. A similar emergency waiver was issued in 2022. As always read your owner’s manual, know what you are putting in your bike, and be an educated consumer. To read more about the decision click here. About Motorcycle Riders Foundation: The Motorcycle Riders Foundation (MRF) provides leadership at the federal level for states’ motorcyclists’ rights organizations as well as motorcycle clubs and individual riders. Visit http://mrf.org * * * * * * * * * * * * Follow Bikernet Free Weekly Newsletter to get latest Motorcycling news, updates, reviews, tech, tips, & lot of fun. Click here & take a test ride.

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EPA to Expand E15 Ethanol Fuel Sales into Summer

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Following long-fought debate, the Biden Administration announced that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) will issue a temporary waiver to allow for the summertime sale of gasoline with up to 15% ethanol (E15) to help address high fuel costs. Currently, E15 cannot be sold between June 1 and September 15 due to fuel-volatility concerns that higher blends of ethanol combined with warmer temperatures may lead to increased ground-level ozone formation and smog. The agency will review the waiver every 20 days to determine if remaining in place is justified. Summertime sales of E15 has been a hot-button issue for years. The Biden Administration says this latest decision is based on its authority to pursue a temporary emergency action. Ethanol, especially in higher concentrations such as E15, can cause metal corrosion and dissolve certain plastics and rubbers in older automobiles that were not constructed with ethanol-resistant materials and in certain specialty high-performance equipment installed on newer vehicles. SEMA opposes the expansion of E15 gasoline as a lack of clear labeling on gas pumps does not provide sufficient protection to guard against misfuelling. Join SEMA – visit Website at: https://www.semasan.com/ To Stay updated on all Motorcycle News and Events … – simply Click & Subscribe to Bikernet’s FREE Weekly Newsletter

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Motorcycle Vibrations Can Damage iPhone cameras as per Apple

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by Kim Lyons from https://www.theverge.com by Edward Moyer from https://www.cnet.com From Apple: https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT212803 Motorcycle vibrations can degrade iPhone camera performance, Apple says High amplitude vibrations can cause problems for the cameras’ gyroscopes A new post on Apple’s Support forum https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT212803 says exposing iPhones to high-amplitude vibrations, “specifically those generated by high-power motorcycle engines” could degrade the devices’ camera system. The company recommends against mounting an iPhone on a motorcycle, as the vibrations may be transmitted via the bike’s handlebars and chassis. Here’s the technical explanation from Apple: If you accidentally move a camera when you take a picture, the resulting image can be blurry. To prevent this, some iPhone models have optical image stabilization (OIS).1 OIS lets you take sharp photos even if you accidentally move the camera. With OIS, a gyroscope senses that the camera moved. To reduce image motion, and the resulting blur, the lens moves according to the angle of the gyroscope. Additionally, some iPhone models have closed-loop autofocus (AF).2 Closed-loop AF resists the effects of gravity and vibration to preserve sharp focus in stills, videos, and panoramas. With closed-loop AF, on-board magnetic sensors measure gravity and vibration effects and determine the lens position so that the compensating motion can be set accurately. The OIS and closed-loop AF systems in iPhone are designed for durability. However, as is the case with many consumer electronics that include systems like OIS, long-term direct exposure to high-amplitude vibrations within certain frequency ranges may degrade the performance of these systems and lead to reduced image quality for photos and videos. It is recommended to avoid exposing your iPhone to extended high-amplitude vibrations. The iPhone 6s, iPhone 6s Plus, and all iPhones since the iPhone 7 have both optical image stabilization and closed-loop autofocus (as noted by MacRumors, the first outlet to

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Best motorcycle cleaner for 2021: Top 10 products

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by Kyle Hyatt from https://www.cnet.com Cleaning your motorcycle can be a pain, but this stuff makes it a lot easier. Motorcycle cleaner notes The visual benefits of keeping a clean bike are pretty obvious, I mean, more shiny is more better, right? But there are some performance and safety benefits, too. For example, if your bike is filthy, it can be hard to see if you’ve suddenly sprung a leak of some vital fluid (usually oil). Some road crud can be corrosive over time to the exposed steel and aluminum parts of your motorcycle, not to mention the fasteners that hold things onto your bike. You thought changing out that clutch was going to be easy, didn’t you? It would have been if you hadn’t left a bunch of road salt all over the bike for months. Now it’s broken-bolt city, population: you. The performance benefits are more subtle but no less real. This is especially true when it comes to chain maintenance. Just think, if your motorcycle has to fight the friction of a dry, dirty or corroded chain, then that’s power lost. If you’re on a 200-horsepower sport bike, that’s not a big deal, but if you’re on a 20-horsepower motorcycle like the Royal Enfield Meteor 350 I recently reviewed, you might just notice. Keep your bike clean with a well-stocked motorcycle care kit, and make your life easy. Best general motorcycle cleaner overall S100 Total Cycle Cleaner $15 Best general motorcycle cleaner overall runner-up Muc-Off Nanotechnology Motorcycle Cleaner $16 Best motorcycle quick detailer S100 Detail & Wax spray $15 Best waterless motorcycle wash Muc-Off High-Performance No Rinse Bike Cleaning Spray $18 Best motorcycle chain cleaner and lube Maxima Clean Up and Chain Wax $28 Best motorcycle chain cleaning brush Simple Solutions The Grunge Brush $14 Best motorcycle

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Harmful E15 Fuel Labeling Changes that Could Hurt Engines

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MIC Tackles Harmful E15 Fuel Labeling Changes that Could Hurt Engines The MIC is opposing proposed changes by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to modify and remove E15 fuel labeling requirements at gas pumps nationwide. This fuel includes high levels of ethanol, between 10.5 and 15 percent, which can harm powersports engines, degrade performance, increase emissions, cause fuel leaks and even engine failures – as well as voiding manufacturer warranties. The proposed labeling changes will make it more difficult for consumers to distinguish the difference between E15 and the less harmful E10 fuel, and will fail to communicate the risks of improper E15 use. “While we appreciate the addition of the word ‘motorcycles’ in the proposed label, we are concerned that the other significant changes to the label minimize its effect and make it look like just another sticker, rather than an alert that people need to pay attention to,” said Scott Schloegel, senior vice president at the MIC Government Relations Office. “The proposed warning label does not adequately notify consumers about the improper use of E15,” he said. “To the contrary, the proposed changes stress ‘Safe for use in’ rather than drawing ‘ATTENTION’ to the label and instructing them to ‘Use only in’ certain products. The proposed label also removes other critical alert language and replaces it with more matter-of-fact language as outlined in the comparisons below.” The MIC’s GRO has written to the new EPA Administrator Michael S. Regan, stating that the proposed labeling changes will result in adverse environmental, safety, and economic consequences, and deny consumers basic information about engine compatibility. Under the proposed labeling requirements, the words “ATTENTION” and “E15 Up to 15% Ethanol” and “Use Only In” would be replaced with “Contains Up to 15% Ethanol” and “Safe for Use In.” “The labeling changes do

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The Evil Ethanol Word

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The Do’s and Don’ts of This Additive Fuel by Sam Burns The latest additive is ethanol, which — without getting into the political and environmental debates about its efficacy — is fine for use in fuel-injected vehicles that are run regularly and designed to use up to 10% ethanol (85% in flex-fuel vehicles). On the other hand, ethanol-oxygenated fuel is not so great for any vehicles that sit between uses, and/or carbureted engines, like the one in your dirt bike or older motorcycle. Ethanol is alcohol, and alcohol is corrosive to certain parts in older fuel systems. Click Here to Read this Tech Report only on Bikernet. Join the Cantina – Subscribe Today. https://www.bikernet.com/pages/custom/subscription.aspx

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Europe’s Highest Motorcycle Museum To Reopen Winter 2021 after Fire

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by Dustin Wheelen from https://www.rideapart.com Motorcycle enthusiasts around the world were heartbroken when Austria’s Top Mountain Motorcycle Museum was destroyed by a fire on January 18, 2021. Known as Europe’s highest motorcycle museum (7,200 feet above sea level), the Top Mountain housed over 280 motorcycles and cars. Not one of them escaped the early morning blaze. Reports reflect that a faulty museum display led to the massive inferno. By the time firefighters arrived, they couldn’t save the 32,000 square-foot structure. However, they were able to contain the fire to the museum, keeping it from spreading to the nearby ski resort and restaurant. While the blaze is still fresh in our memories, Top Mountain founders Attila and Alban Scheiber are already planning a comeback for the Timmelsjoch museum. “We want to offer more than a world of experiences, the goal is to offer something also to non-motorcyclists,” the Scheibers said. “There will be 250 motorcycles already promised by collectors from all over the world.” Prior to the fire, the Scheiber brothers had plans to further expand the sprawling museum. The pair will leverage those blueprints to reconstruct the Passo Del Rombo facility along with the drafted expansions. The enormity of the project isn’t stopping the Scheibers from setting an ambitious goal of reopening by winter 2021. With the future museum hosting collectors’ motorcycles from around the world, safety will also be of the utmost importance. After the damage incurred during the January, 2021, blaze, plans should undoubtedly include fire repellent building materials and advanced sprinkler systems. Of course, the project has many months of hard work ahead. However, if we would have known that the Mountain Top Motorcycle Museum would be back in less than a year after the winter 2020 fire, we might have been a little less heartbroken.

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