I'm not sure what the big brouhaha is about. We all know by now, or at least those of us still conscious should know, that Harley has a very serious problem with product variability. Not every CVO110 has blown up, but an alarmingly large number of them have. Not every ETC has failed and gone into limp mode out on the highway, but an alarmingly large number have. Not every compensator has failed (yet), but an alarmingly large number have, often multiple times. Not every Harley has suffered from warped rotors, but a large number have, some multiple times as well. Is anyone starting to see the point here?
It's very easy to see the problem and demand a fix when the failure rate is 100%. Even Harley would have a hard time avoiding sanctions from the regulatory agencies if it was a 100% problem. The problem is that when Harley is confronted by a defect that presents at a lower rate, their first response is always avoidance. They start with a BS campaign claiming they've never heard of such a problem (even though they've had many other calls about the same problem), then they change the story to "yes we've heard of a small number of complaints, but we determined the bikes were within our tolerances", or they try to blame the customer for the problem. They only stop the stonewalling when the negative publicity reaches critical mass, kind of like with the first year 110 engine fiasco, and even then they don't admit to serious defects but pass it off as a voluntary upgrade program.
The people who do have this handling issue need to raise hell at all levels, from the dealership to Harley corporate to the NHTSA. Having one or two people file complaints will have the same result as when a tiny fly attacks an elephant. You all need to step up if you want the elephant to pay attention to your problem.
Jerry