Polaris Industries (PII -0.27%) issued a recall notice Friday for an unspecified number of Kings Mountain-era Indian-brand motorcycles, saying the vehicles may suffer from "a defect related to motor safety."
The motorcycles in question, from model years 2009-2013 and produced between Dec. 10, 2008, and Nov. 1, 2012, may have been assembled using defective rear wheel rims, which may crack and cause air pressure loss, causing operators to lose control, increasing the risk of vehicle crash.
Polaris specifically noted that "the recall does not impact the newly launched 2014 Indian Chief motorcycles unveiled by Polaris Industries in Sturgis, South Dakota on August 3," and attempted to distance itself from the defect in general by terming the affected motorcycles "legacy generation" and as having been "designed by the previous owner of Indian Motorcycle."
Polaris bought Indian, America's oldest motorcycle brand, in 2011, and so was itself producing at least one year's worth of the vehicles now subject to recall.
In a statement, Polaris confirmed that Indian Motorcycle has already notified the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration about the substance of the recall and will be notifying registered owners about the recall "when replacement parts are available," and having dealers replace the affected rear wheel assemblies for owners free of charge.
In the meantime, Polaris says that owners "should visually inspect the rear motorcycle rim for cracks and check tire pressure prior to riding the motorcycle. If any cracks are found, the motorcycle should not be ridden until the rim is replaced."
