I filed a complaint on 9/14/2004, odi 10091015. This is supplemental to that complaint. Additional research turned up information about an oil delivery problem inherent in the harley-davidson twin cam 88 and twin cam 88b engines. An article in the march 2003 edition of easy riders magazine outlines how to repair a factory-defective oil pump relief valve. The oil pump relief valve sticks and deprives critical engine components of lubrication. If the relief valve sticks long enough, the engine will detonate, causing the rider to lose control of the motorcycle. According to the magazine article, this problem has been known about since just after the introduction of these engine models, approximately in 1999. Fortunately, the engine on my motorcycle failed at low speed, and I did not crash. However, a high-speed engine failure on a motorcycle would certainly be dangerous to the rider.
The worst 2001 Harley-Davidson Softail problems
Ranked by number of owner complaints. Mileage and cost come from what owners wrote.
- Engine2
Problems by type
Tap a problem to see which part fails, at what mileage and in which other years.
- Engine2
Recalls
No recalls on record for this model year.
Technical service bulletins for the 2001 Harley-Davidson Softail 5
Bulletins tell dealers how to fix known problems. A warranty extension means the manufacturer pays for that repair for longer.
- Harley davidson: a change to the final torque of the fork cap (part number 45419-80) and for tube plug...
- Information on changing the idle speed setting on 2001 softail efi vehicles
- Subject regarding 2001 softail owners manual corrections
- Information on missing labor codes
- On some vehicles, the possibility exists that cam to cam timing could be incorrect after replacement...
What 2001 Harley-Davidson Softail owners say
Most recent owner complaints, unedited.
Worn out engine at 3.5 years old and 43,000 miles
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Questions about the 2001 Harley-Davidson Softail
Is the 2001 Harley-Davidson Softail reliable?
Owners have filed 2 complaints about the 2001 Harley-Davidson Softail, fewer than a typical Softail model year.
What is the most common problem with the 2001 Harley-Davidson Softail?
Engine and cooling, with 2 complaints.
How many recalls does the 2001 Harley-Davidson Softail have?
No recalls on record.
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