How many recalls does the 2005 Harley-Davidson Sportster 1200r have?

The 2005 Harley-Davidson Sportster 1200r has 1 NHTSA safety recall campaign on record.

How do I check if my 2005 Harley-Davidson Sportster 1200r has an open recall?

Enter your 17-character VIN at NHTSA's official recall lookup (nhtsa.gov/recalls) to see open, unrepaired recalls for your specific vehicle. Recall repairs are free.

What do owners complain about most on the 2005 Harley-Davidson Sportster 1200r?

Of 3 NHTSA complaints on file, the most-reported component is service brakes, hydraulic.

2005 Harley-Davidson Sportster 1200r Recalls

Recalls on record Updated July 2026

The 2005 Harley-Davidson Sportster 1200r has 1 NHTSA recall campaign affecting an estimated 9,506 vehicles. Recall repairs are always free at any authorized dealer. Owners have filed 3 complaints with NHTSA, most often about the service brakes, hydraulic. Last updated July 5, 2026.

Recall campaigns

SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC 06V201000 2006-06-08 9,506 affected

Defect

ON CERTAIN MOTORCYCLES, THE FRONT MASTER BRAKE CYLINDER ASSEMBLY HAD BEEN BUILT WITH INADEQUATE LUBRICATION ON THE SECONDARY CUP. THIS COULD CAUSE THE SLIDING RESISTANCE OF THE PISTON TO BE EXCESSIVE, WHICH IN TURN COULD CAUSE THE RETURN OF THE PISTON TO BE SLOW UPON RELEASE OF THE BRAKE.

Consequence

THE PISTON MAY NOT RETURN COMPLETELY. IF THIS HAPPENS, THE REAR BRAKE LIGHT COULD REMAIN ILLUMINATED WHICH COULD CAUSE A CRASH OR INJURIES.

Remedy

DEALERS WILL REBUILD THE MASTER CYLINDER. THE RECALL BEGAN ON JULY 10, 2006. OWNERS MAY CONTACT HARLEY DAVIDSON AT 1-414-343-4056.

Complaints by component

SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:MASTER CYLINDER

ENGINE

Total complaints3

What owners report

Verbatim reports filed with NHTSA, lightly edited for readability and with personal information removed.

“My harley davidson motorcycle the motor locked up, causing a skid, this happened at low speeds but had it happened on the interstate someone could have been killed, or hurt for life. The reason the motor locked up was because screws from the air filter vibrated lose and were sucked into the motor…”

ENGINE · reported 2013-01-08

“Failure of front brake. Near wreck with stopping car. Cannot correct problem. Dealer cannot get repair parts. This is an ongoing problem that is getting worse. Problem is intermittent but getting more frequent. *jb”

SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:MASTER CYLINDER · reported 2006-09-11

“Safety recall on 2005 harley davidson sportster1200r--- defective front master cylinder assembly received recall notice on 7/05/06. Promised recall kit by 7/10/06. As of today ( 8/23/06 ) dealer has still not received recall kit resulting in me driving an unsafe motorcycle!!! I want my bike fixed…”

SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:MASTER CYLINDER · reported 2005-06-15

Sources & methodology

Recall, complaint, and investigation records from official NHTSA datasets (FLAT_RCL, FLAT_CMPL, FLAT_INV), synced weekly. Counts reflect NHTSA records for the 2005 Harley-Davidson Sportster 1200r as of July 5, 2026. Complaint narratives are consumer-submitted and unverified. This page contains ads and affiliate links. Full methodology.