2002 Harley-Davidson XL883

Routine

Owners filed 2 complaints about this vehicle with federal regulators, most often about the fuel system, gasoline › carburetor system. No safety recall has been issued.

What fails
ComponentReportsCrashesFiresInjuries
Fuel System, Gasoline › Carburetor System1
000
Engine and Engine Cooling1
000

What owners reported

Newest filings
Engine and Engine Cooling
Filed May 29, 200310 milesFL

2002 HARLEY DAVIDSON 883 C BOUGHT THE BIKE BRAND NEW AUG 08, 2002 (1ST HARLEY) AND IMMEDIATLEY NOTICED AFTER RIDDING HOME UPON DELIVERY THAT THE BIKE WOULD STALL 3 OUT OF 4 TIMES WHEN TRYING TO ACCELERATE. CALLED THE SELLING AGENT AT THE DEALERSHIP AND WAS TOLD ALL SPORSTER HAD THIS PROBLEM DUE TO HAVING TO MEET EPA STANDARDS THE BIKE CARB WAS SET AT A VERY LEAN CONDITION CAUSING THE BIKE TO STALL UNDER ACCELERATION. THE SELLING AGENT THEN AT THAT POINT SAID IT COULD BE FIXED FOR AN ADDITIONAL FEE OF ANYWHERE BETWEEN $250.00 - $300.00 ALSO COMMONLY KNOWS AS THE "HARLEY TAX" ON MANY HARLEY CHAT SITES ON THE WEB. THE "HARLEY TAX" IS PAYING THE DEALER AND ADDITIONAL FEE TO GET THE BIKE TO RUN RIGHT LIKE IT SHOULD FROM THE FACTORY IN THE 1ST PLACE. I CONTACTED THE MOTOR COMPANY IN MILWAULKEE AND SENT A LETTER IN HOW UN HAPPY I WAS SINCE I HAD SAVED FOR THIS BIKE MANY YEARS AND NOW HAD THIS PROBLEM. I EXPLAINED THE PROBLEM TO THE CUSTOMER SERVICE REP AND WAS TOLD THAT THEY COULD NOT FIX IT DUE TO EPA STANDARDS. I WAS THEN TOLD TO TAKE THE BIKE BACK TO THE DEALER AND THEY WOULD LOOK AT IT. TOOK THE BIKE BACK THEY DID SOME WORK ON THE CARB BUT STILL HAVE THE PROBLEM, NOT AS BAD BUT IT IS STILL THERE, COUGHING, STALLING ETC. I TOLD THE MOTOR COMPANY IN MILWAULKEE THAT IF I GOT HIT BY A CAR BECAUSE OF THIS I WOULD TAKE LEGAL ACTION. AFTER READING THE WEB SITE "HARLEY TECH TALK" OR "SPORSTER HOME PAGE.ORG" I FOUND THAT THERE IS A WIDE PROBLEM WITH THE SPORSTER 883 / 1200 AND THE STALLI

Fuel System, Gasoline › Carburetor System
Filed Dec 6, 2002NJ

WHILE DRIVING VEHICLE WILL STALL OUT WITHOUT WARNING. THE DEALER INDICATED THAT THIS PROBLEM IS AS A RESULT OF THE CARBURETOR BUT THEY CAN'T FIX IT BECAUSE OF EPA REGULATIONS/STANDARDS. *TS *TT *NLM.

2 of 2 complaints, reproduced as filed.

Across model years

Worst on record: 2014
YearComplaintsRecallsFiresDeathsAssessment
20143000Routine
20091000Routine
20081000Routine
20072300Routine
20061000Routine
20051000Routine
20043000Routine
20031100Routine
2002 — this page2000Routine

Compare every XL883 year →

Reading this record

No unusual pattern of severe incidents in the complaint record.

Complaint counts track how many cars were sold and how long they have been on the road as much as they track quality. A common model from 2013 has had a decade to accumulate reports; a rare one from last year has not. The signal worth weighing is in the severity columns, in whether the same component keeps appearing, and in whether the manufacturer eventually opened a recall for it.

Most recent recall on file: none. Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation.