The Lemon Index

Motorcycles · Harley-Davidson · Cruiser & retro

Harley-Davidson Street Bob, illustration

Illustration

Harley-Davidson Street Bob.

Owner complaints filed with NHTSA, 2006 to 2025 models.

38owner complaints
4recalls
5%involved a crash, fire or injury
7,829typical miles at complaint

Harley-Davidson Street Bob years to avoid. The model years with the most complaints filed with NHTSA.

200613 complaints

8 of 13 describe bolts coming loose or shearing (rear sprocket or alternator rotor).

  • Recall 05V537000 (power train): On certain motorcycles, the transmission may go into a false neutral position even though the neutral indicator light is illuminated.

After 2006, no model year drew more than 4.

Fewest complaints on file: 2010 (1), 2020 (1), 2021 (1). Few complaints is not a clean bill of health, just fewer owners filing.

What each year's complaints describe comes from reading their text. These are counts, not rates: there are no sales figures per motorcycle model year. A complaint is not proof of a defect.

Complaints by model year.

200613
20073
20084
20101
20122
20132
20152
20162
20201
20211
20223
20231
20241
20252

Popular years get more complaints just because more were sold, and newer years have had less time to collect them. There are no U.S. sales figures by motorcycle model year, so these are counts, not rates.

What owners complain about. Share of complaints.

brakes29%
transmission & drivetrain21%
wheels16%
electrical13%
suspension13%

Recalls 4

  • Service Brakes, Hydraulic 2026

    The rear brake line may contact the Body Control Module (BCM), resulting in a hole in the brake line, a brake fluid leak, and loss of the rear brakes.

  • Engine And Engine Cooling 2007

    On certain motorcycles built and shipped to california, the catalytic muffler protective heat shield was not installed.

  • Tires 2007

    Certain sportster and dyna model motorcycles were built with an incorrect front tire.

Show all 4
  • Power Train 05V537000

    On certain motorcycles, the transmission may go into a false neutral position even though the neutral indicator light is illuminated.

Recall repairs are free at any dealer. Check a specific bike's VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.

Specs The maker's claimed figures for a representative year. ~ means approximate.

Harley-Davidson Street Bob

2006–now

~93 hpClaimed crank figure

Engine
1,868 cc air/oil-cooled Milwaukee-Eight 114 (2021+)Milwaukee-Eight family
Torque
119 lb-ftclaimed
Weight
~655 lbwet or curb, as the maker quotes it
Seat height
26.0 in
Price new
~$14,999 (2021)base U.S. MSRP before destination, approximate

From the makers' U.S. spec sheets (the EU sheet for horsepower where the U.S. one leaves it out), checked against a sample on Nov 11; years and versions differ.

Filed as: FXDB, FXDBI, FXBBS, FXBB, FXDBP. Source: NHTSA owner complaints (model years 2000-2026) and recalls. Every motorcycle

Also counted in the Harley-Davidson Softail family page.

More cruiser & retro: Yamaha Road Star / Road Star Warrior · Suzuki Boulevard · Honda VTX1300 / VTX1800 · Harley-Davidson Softail · Honda Shadow · Yamaha V Star · Ducati SportClassic · Harley-Davidson Dyna · Every motorcycle

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