Dec. 21, 2016 – Wyoming, Minn. – The potential for sudden fuel leakage has caused Indian Motorcycle Company to recall several models of its motorcycles, according to new documents compiled by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
The Defect
Indian Motorcycle will recall the model year 2014-2017 Chief Classic, Chief Dark Horse, Vintage, Chieftain, Chieftain Dark Horse, Springfield and Roadmaster motorcycles manufactured between April 15, 2013 and July 15, 2016. The manufacturer explained that fuel rail tubes are flexible enough to be inadvertently positioned. In the event that a fuel rail comes in contact with other components, there is a chance that it will rupture, resulting in a fuel leak. This, in turn, could cause a fire.
Timeline of Events
Indian Motorcycle’s parent company, Polaris Industries, discovered the defect after related warranty requests began to pile up. First, the company called for a “root cause analysis” of the failures, according to NHTSA documents. It then began to evaluate the components and concluded that fuel rails may exhibit signs of moisture or chafing at the point of eventual failure. The company then decided to conduct a safety recall.
The manufacturer does not believe that any accidents, injuries or deaths have been linked to this defect thus far.
Resolution
Indian Motorcycles will notify all owners of the issue and will fix it free of charge. The manufacturer will install a remedy bracket to prevent fuel rails from moving, and will also design future fuel rails with tighter joint tolerances. This will give the fuel rails additional clearance among other components and prevent contact.
