Galveston, TX motorcycle accident lawyer replies: Harley-Davidson Inc. has just announced a brake switch recall of approximately 308,000 of its motorcycles. About 251,000 of the recalled Harleys are in the United States, with the remainder distributed abroad.

The brake switch recall affects Touring, CVO Touring, and Trike motorcycles built between June 6, 2008 and September 16, 2011. The bikes come from the 2009 through the 2012 model years.

The brake switch recall relates to a brake light switch problem that can cause the rear brake lights, and even the rear brakes, to fail. The design of the bikes exposed the brake light switch to too much heat from the Harley’s exhaust system. The excessive heat can cause the brake lights to fail. The exhaust heat can also cause fluid leaks leading to the loss of the rear brakes.

Harley-Davidson said it first became aware of the excessive heat problem on the switch in June 2010 when it received a report about a Trike motorcycle on which the rear brakes had failed due to the problem. Harley-Davidson said that it had also investigated a bike at a Louisiana dealership that was involved in a motorcycle accident that injured one person. The company could not definitely determine whether the brake switch recall problem caused the Harley-Davidson crash.

The company says it does not know of any further motorcycle accidents or injuries related to the brake switch recall problem. Harley-Davidson says that it will notify affected bike owners and its dealers will install a rear brake light switch kit free of charge.

Galveston, TX motorcycle accident lawyer cautions that just losing your brake lights can pose dangers on the road because it reduces your visibility to other drivers. Motorcyclists already have a problem being noticed by drivers of other vehicles because of their smaller vehicle profiles.

Losing your rear brakes altogether vastly increases your risks of a severe or even fatal crash. So if you have questions about whether your bike in Galveston, TX is subject to the brake switch recall, contact your Harley-Davidson dealer. Your Galveston, TX motorcycle accident lawyer says: don’t take chances with your safety. If there’s a problem, get it fixed.