You will have a difficult time finding any ABS parts, either through an online or local H-D dealer, or on eBay. H-D, apparently, does not want you or I replacing those parts. Shortly after the recall, the parts mysteriously became unavailable.

 

Thanks, that's kinda what I was getting the gist of when reading. Christ...mine isn't failed, but if someones fails, what the heck are they supposed to do?

Worst case, Could one just disable the ABS completely and....?

there has to be someone who has done that. I haven't read up on it (yet)

 

If it fails and you want to keep your ABS, you would need to take it to the dealer. Yes, I have heard that some have disabled their ABS by bypassing the ABS altogether. I watched a YouTube video last night where a guy double stacked banjo fittings onto the HCU and pulled the ABS fuse.

 

I carry a couple double long banjo bolts and plenty of crush washers in the tool bag in case the ABS fails while we're out on a trip. Plan on just removing the banjos from the HCU and joining the front or rear (which ever fails) lines together, purge the lines with fresh fluid then heading on our way. I did tack weld the end on the banjo bolts in case the valve decides to return to it's intended position while my temp fix is in place. I believe the thread is 10x1mm on the banjos.

 

Just thinking out loud. The scan tool essentially simulates (?) an ABS event on the lift to flush the old fluid out of the HCU, as a normal flush doesn't remove the fluid from that 'unit'. This is my takeaway at least in an attempt to understand the system.

Ran across this...summarizes it more eloquently. Unclear why I cannot post a direct link to the VTwin forum? It keeps replacing the URL with ************** no matter what I do. Copy and remove spaces, was only way I could post the link. wtf
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https ://www.v-twinforum .com/forums/harley-davidson-touring/527746-harley-recall-3.html#post5711146
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Answers your question? (it won't let me post the URL, keeps putting ********** into it for some reason so one needs to copy the text and remove the spaces. wtf)
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https ://www.v-twinforum .com/forums/harley-davidson-touring/527746-harley-recall-3.html#post5711154
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Thanks....though on a trip I really don't want to be working on a brake system in a campground! lol

Thanks again.

 

I read the same thing on this forum, but you know what they say about stuff you read on the Internet? I have found no conclusive proof that there is a reservoir of hidden fluid inside the HCU. The only video I've seen of an HCU that was removed shows the HCU being manipulated with a minimal amount of fluid dripping from the HCU body. So, unless someone can show where this hidden, inaccessible reservoir of fluid is located within the HCU, I will continue flushing my own brakes. I activate the ABS occasionally in an empty parking lot to "exercise" the pistons just to be sure they're not seized.

The touring service manual only specifically talks about "bleeding" brakes as opposed to "flushing" brakes and only mentions the DT II is required when air has been introduced into the system. Flushing is only mentioned in the notes section of the maintenance schedule, but there is no service procedure that I could find anywhere else in the manual, which has me wondering why that is since flushing and bleeding are not the exact same procedure.

 

That, too, has been brought up in this forum and I'm convinced H-D did exactly that to try and hide that there were problems with the 2008-2013 bikes with ABS. Unfortunately for them, owners were reporting problems to the NHTSA, which eventually led to the recall. I wrote an email to NHTSA asking why the '12 and '13 models were omitted from the recall since the part numbers were exactly the same, but not surprisingly, they never responded. Also, I'm convinced that H-D and NHTSA are in bed together because H-D somehow convinced the NHTSA to keep this information about the part change from the public eye.

 

there are multiple threads on this....but one reads through 8 pages of this and that in 6 separate threads....and its too easy to miss the info one really needs as off topic posts are present etc.

I will call my local dealer and ask about the brake flush recall for my 08...and plan to also ask about what happens if the ABS unit fails, what specific part replaces it etc. Wondering what I will hear back.

I will also plan to do the double flush on my own in the garage. Will ride the bike and cycle the ABS between flushes etc.