On saturday april 15 at approx. 3:30 pm pt traveling east on I-8, 1/2 mile in to yuma az, traveling at approx. 75 MPH, I had 5 bolts fail on the main drive pulley attached to my rear wheel. One bolt flew forward and one flew back and struck another motorcycle rider in the left shin causing minor injury (first aid only). The rear wheel didn't lock up so an accident was avoided. This could have had a very different out come had I been on wet pavement which would have most likely caused the wheel to lock when one of the bolts hit the swing arm. The motorcycle was trucked back to my home in mission viejo ca where I removed the rear wheel. All five bolts had broke off inside the wheel at about where the treads on the bolt start. The bolts had never been removed to my knowledge and was checked at the 10k maint. At 60lbs. Per the manual for that year and model. Only my self or a harley davidson dealer has worked on the bike. I took the wheel and pulley to my local harley davidson dealership service and they stated that they had never seen such a thing. Capistrano hd service manager contacted the hd hq and then relayed to me that hd was not willing to do anything. I contacted hd directly and they again stated that the bike was out of warranty (less than a month) and that since I took the wheel off and they didn't wish to even look at the wheel or bolts.
The worst 2004 Harley-Davidson Flstfi problems
Ranked by number of owner complaints. Mileage and cost come from what owners wrote.
- Wheels2
- Transmission1
Problems by type
Tap a problem to see which part fails, at what mileage and in which other years.
- Wheels2
- Transmission1
Recalls 1
Equipment: other: labels
- What is wrong
- Certain softail motorcycles fail to comply with the requirements of part 567, 'certification.' the VIN/certification label contains incorrect tire size and inflation pressures for the front wheel. The label states the tire size is mt90b21 and the inflation pressure as 30 psi, whereas the correct tire size is mt90b16, and the correct inflation pressure is 36 psi.
- Risk
- The certification label is incorrect giving improper information.
- Remedy
- Harley- davidson will mail instructions along with corrected federal certification label. If an owner so desires, a dealer can install the label for them. The recall began on june 6, 2005. Owners may contact harley-davidson at 1‑414‑343‑4056.
Recall number 05V151000 · Recall details
Technical service bulletins for the 2004 Harley-Davidson Flstfi 6
Bulletins tell dealers how to fix known problems. A warranty extension means the manufacturer pays for that repair for longer.
- Battery warranty guidelines
- Market specific battery introduction
- Digital technician II - updates and release notes
- Genuine motor parts and motor accessories bulletin PAB1158: oil filter packaging and case quantity update
- Digital technician II - updates and release notes
- Genuine motor parts and motor accessories bulletin PAB1146: 68193-95 bulb wedge, fender tip lamp.
What 2004 Harley-Davidson Flstfi owners say
Most recent owner complaints, unedited.
2004 harley davidson, soft tail fatboy. Stock wheels and tires. Traveling at approx. 75 MPH on I-8 entering yuma az. All 5 bolts holding the main drive pulley to the rear wheel broke off. One bolt flew back and hit another rider thus causing minor injury to the leg. Not reported. Bike did not crash but was damaged. Pulley and wheel were taken to harley davidson, they are not interested in finding the cause. Many mechanics have looked at this and have never seen this before. Bike has 16002 miles and the bolts were last checked at 10kmiles for 60 ftlbs.
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Questions about the 2004 Harley-Davidson Flstfi
Is the 2004 Harley-Davidson Flstfi reliable?
Owners have filed 2 complaints about the 2004 Harley-Davidson Flstfi, close to a typical Flstfi model year.
What is the most common problem with the 2004 Harley-Davidson Flstfi?
Wheels, with 2 complaints. Next is transmission (1).
How many recalls does the 2004 Harley-Davidson Flstfi have?
1 recall, covering equipment.
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