AI DamageHarley-Davidson Fxdbi: problems, complaints, bulletins
Summary for the Harley-Davidson Fxdbi across 1 model years: 13 owner complaints and 0 NHTSA service bulletins, plus repair videos. Pick a year for details.
Model years
| Year | Owner complaints | involving a crash | Technical service bulletins (TSB) | YouTube repair videos |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006 | 13 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
What fails most often
- 1 Powertrain 38% of all complaints
- 2 Electrical system 31% of all complaints
- 3 Wheels 31% of all complaints
- 4 Suspension 8% of all complaints
- Powertrain: 5 complaints (38% of all).
- Electrical system: 4 complaints (31% of all).
- Wheels: 4 complaints (31% of all).
- Suspension: 1 complaints (8% of all).
Symptoms owners describe
How many of the 13 NHTSA complaints mention each symptom (automatic count from complaint text; one complaint can mention several).
Components owners complain about
| Component | Owner complaints | involving a crash | Technical service bulletins (TSB) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Powertrain | 5 | 0 | 0 |
| Electrical system | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| Wheels | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| Suspension | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Other | 1 | 0 | 0 |
What owners report
Short excerpts of NHTSA complaints in the original wording. These are owner statements not verified by NHTSA; personal data removed.
The rotor cup which is secured is coming apart tearing up the stater for the alternator causing particles of the two units flying around in the primary case possibly causing the chain to jam or break the clutch pack to jam or break which could seize the bikes rear wheel the worst case cause an accident and at freeway…
Of and on for about 6 months there is a knocking coming from the primary care which houses the clutch and strider stader, the dealers it seems to have been instructed to give the buyer a addendum to their owners manual that there is a problem with the inner case bearing and it needs replaced every 5000 miles nut 15000…
The 5 bolts holding the rear wheel drive sprocket backed out and locked the wheel up when the bolts hit the swing arm. This happened previously, about 3 years prior, but only one bolt backed out at that time.
I then heard rattling. I stopped and found that 3 of the 5 bolts that hold the rear sprocket on the hub were sheared off at the threads. This is not the first time. About 3 years ago the same thing happened to me. I had to removed the sheared bolts from inside the hub and replaced them with '6' mark grade 'a' bolts.
The bolts on the rear sprocket of my 2006 fxdb harley street bob came loose and sheared off, causing the rear wheel to lock. There was no residue indicating any type of threadlocker had been used. I bought the bike new and have never had these parts removed.
While driving 25 mph, the contact heard a new rattling noise coming from the rear end of the motorcycle. She attempted to pull the motorcycle over to the side of the road, but both wheels locked up. She managed to pull over and loosen up the foot brakes; however, the wheels were still locked up.
When owners complained
NHTSA complaints by filing year. The peak shows at what age the problems show up most.
What to check before buying
- Powertrain. Shift quality under load, harsh shifts, transmission codes, CV joints.
- Electrical system. Scan all modules, test the battery and alternator, inspect connectors near the impact zone.
- Wheels. Wheel runout, cracks, signs of a wheel strike.
- Suspension. Wheel alignment, control arms, subframe, even tire wear.
Other models of this make
Read also
Sources: public NHTSA data (USA): service bulletins and owner complaints; YouTube: links to videos credited to their authors. Complaints are owner statements not verified by NHTSA, and describe defects rather than crash damage. Data updated 2026-11-05.