2007 YAMAHA FJR1300 Complaints

FAILURE ON REPAIR OF NHTSA RECALL NUMBER: 11V338000 RECALL DATE: JUNE 28,2011 MANUFACTURER RECALL NUMBER: 990061 FAILURE DESCRIPTION: ON MONDAY 8/22/2016 , I STARTED EXPERIENCING ELECTRICAL ISSUES. I WAS STRANDED AND COULD NOT START BIKE. HAVING READ ON 'FJRFORUM.COM ' ABOUT "GROUND WIRE JUNCTION CONNECTION" OR 'GROUND BUSS CONNECTORS' ISSUES AND THE SYMPTOMS ASSOCIATED WITH THEM, I SUSPECTED THAT I HAVE A 'GROUND BUSS CONNECTORS' ISSUE. MY BIKE HAD THE RECALL DONE IN 2011. SYMPTOMS: INTERMITTENT A) IGNITION IN ON POSITION, NOT ATTEMPTING TO START BIKE. 1) BRAKE ACTIVATED (EITHER HAND OR FOOT) -> BRAKE LIGHTS WORK NORMALLY AND NO ABNORMAL ACTIVITY 2) RAISE/LOWER WINDSCREEN -> RESULTS IN VERY SLOW OR NO MOVEMENT AND THE BRIGHT LIGHT INDICATOR ILLUMINATES. 3) HIT HORN -> NO HORN SOUNDS BUT BOTH TURN SIGNALS LIGHT AND THE BRIGHT LIGHT INDICATOR ILLUMINATES. 3) TURN ON EITHER TURN SIGNAL -> THE TURN SIGNAL WILL FLASH AND THE BRIGHT LIGHT INDICATOR ILLUMINATES B) IGNITION IN ON POSITION AND ATTEMPT TO START BIKE: 1) INTERMITTENTLY WILL START, BUT IF NOT NOTHING EXCEPT TO ILLUMINATE THE BRIGHT LIGHT INDICATOR. 3) IF IT DOES START, LIGHTS MAY GO OUT! RANDOM TURN SIGNAL BEHAVIOR! INVESTIGATION: I INSPECTED ALL "GROUND JOINTS"(AKA SPIDERS) . I COMPLETED MY INSPECTION ON FRIDAY, AUG. 26. PRIMARY FINDING IS THAT THE CONNECTOR THAT MANUFACTURER RECALL NUMBER 990061 WAS SUPPOSE TO FIX HAS A PIN THAT IS INTERMITTENTLY SHORTING RESULTING IN SCORCH/BURN MARKS ON THE FEMALE CONNECTOR. I CAN ONLY SPECULATE THAT WHEN THE RECALL WAS PERFORMED THAT IT WAS EITHER NOT DONE CORRECTLY OR THAT THE CONNECTOR ALREADY HAD DAMAGE THAT WAS EITHER UNDETECTED OR IGNORED. AT ANY RATE, IT'S A FAILURE OF A SAFETY RECALL ! I HAVE ATTACHED PHOTOS OF THE RECALL FAILURE. I WANT YAMAHA TO INSPECT AND IF NEED BE REPLACE WIRING HARNESS PER MANUF. RECALL NO. 9900062

HIGH BEAM INDICATOR CAME ON, TURN SIGNALS FAILED TO OPERATE, BIKE WOULD NOT RESTART AFTER STOPPING. THIS WAS ALL CAUSED BY GROUND SPIDER 6 BURNING AND FAILING.

THIS IS A YAMAHA MOTORCYCLE. IT HAS A BLOWN FORK SEAL, WHICH IS A PRETTY COMMON OCCURRENCE. THIS IS IN THE FRONT SUSPENSION AND STEERING. THERE ARE 2 SPECIAL TOOLS NECESSARY TO REPAIR THIS, ACCORDING TO THE FACTORY SERVICE MANUAL. NEITHER OF THESE SPECIAL TOOLS ARE AVAILABLE FROM YAMAHA. THERE ARE NO SUBSTITUTES AVAILABLE EITHER, ACCORDING TO 3 SEPARATE DEALERS AND THE CORPORATE HQ IN CALIFORNIA. THIS IS QUITE A SAFETY RISK, AS I CANNOT PROPERLY REPAIR THE SUSPENSION, AND THIS WILL AFFECT THE STABILITY/CONTROLLABILITY OF THE BIKE. IT ALSO AFFECTS THE BRAKES, AS FLUID CAN LEAK ONTO THE ROTOR/PADS AND REDUCE THE EFFECTIVENESS. *TR

THE FUEL TANK CAP ASSEMBLY ALLOWS WATER TO LEAK BY THE RUBBER GASKET INTO THE VENT PIPE. THIS PIPE IS MADE IN SUCH A WAY SO AS TO TRAP WATER IN IT WHEN WASHING OR RIDING IN RAIN. THIS IS THEN EVIDENCED BY A GURGLING SOUND COMING FROM THE FUEL TANK CAP AREA. IF THE PROBLEM IS NOT CORRECTED IT COULD, OVER TIME, CAUSE THE VENT PIPE TO RUST THROUGH. THIS WOULD THEN ALLOW WATER TO ENTER THE FUEL TANK AND CONTAMINATE THE FUEL, WHICH COULD CAUSE THE ENGINE TO STOP SUDDENLY. IF THIS WERE TO HAPPEN WHILE THE MOTORCYCLE IS BEING RIDDEN IT COULD RESULT IN A CRASH CAUSING INJURY OR DEATH. A TEMPORARY FIX IS TO REMOVE THE FUEL TANK CAP ASSEMBLY AND USE HIGH PRESSURE AIR TO BLOW THE WATER OUT OF THE VENT PIPE. THIS MUST BE DONE EACH TIME THE AREA IS EXPOSED TO WATER. THERE IS NOT A REPLACEMENT GASKET AVAILABLE FROM YAMAHA. CURRENTLY, THE ONLY OPTION FOR OWNERS IS TO PURCHASE A NEW FUEL TANK CAP ASSEMBLY, FOR OVER $100, AND HOPE THIS FIXES THE PROBLEM. *JS

BIKE HAS HAD THE FACTORY RECALL THAT CONNECTS A MORE DIRECT PATH OF BATTERY GROUND TO THE S 4 BUSS. HOWEVER, THIS ONLY HELPED WITH LOAD ON THE COMPONENTS OF THE S4 CONNECTOR. MY LIGHTS WENT OUT BECAUSE THE DOWN STREAM FROM THE S4 CONNECTOR, THE S6 (HAD BURNED CONTACTS) WHICH THE FEED THE S7 CONNECTOR FOR THE LH HEAD LIGHT AND THE S8 CONNECTOR FOR THE RH HEADLIGHT. THE COMBINATION OF CURRENT FROM BOTH LIGHTS THRU ONE PIN AT THE S6 CONNECTOR CAUSE THE CONNECTOR TO BUILD UP HEAT DAMAGE AND KILL THE GROUND PATH FOR BOTH HEADLIGHTS AT THE SAME TIME. *TR

THE SIDE CASE LOCK FAILED, CAUSING THE SIDE CASE (SADDLEBAG) TO FALL OPEN WHILE RIDING. THIS CAUSED THE MOTORCYCLE TO SWERVE, NEARLY CAUSING A CRASH. I REPAIRED THE LOCK BY ADDING A LOCK WASHER AND LIQUID LOCKTITE TO THE SINGLE SCREW HOLDING THE LOCK IN PLACE. TWO WEEKS AGO, I EXPERIENCED THE SAME PROBLEM ON THE OPPOSITE SIDE CASE. LUCKILY, THIS TIME IT HAPPENED AT VERY SLOW SPEED IN MY DRIVEWAY. IF THIS HAPPENED AT HIGH SPEED, OR IN A TURN, IT COULD BE DEADLY. I CONTACTED YAMAHA AND WAS TOLD THAT THEY WOULD NOT REPLACE THE LOCK MECHANISM UNLESS THERE WAS A VEHICLE SAFETY RECALL ORDERED BY NHTSA. ACCORDING TO THEIR PARTS WEBSITE, THEY HAVE REPLACED THE ORIGINAL LOCK MECHANISMS WITH A DIFFERENT ONE ON NEWER MODELS AND NO LONGER SELL THIS PART. PART NUMBER IS 5P5-28406-01-00. THIS NEW PART IS A REPLACEMENT FOR THE ORIGINAL, DEFECTIVE PART- PART NUMBER 5JW-W9451-02-00. *TR

ENGINE SURGES ABOVE 3000 FEET ALTITUDE CAUSING UNCONTROLLED LIFTING OF FRONT WHEEL IN FIRST AND SECOND GEAR. *TR

I WAS RIDING HOME FROM WORK IN THE DARK ON MY 2007 YAMAHA FJR1300 MOTORCYCLE ON A UNLIT, CURVY, RURAL ROAD WHEN BOTH MY HEADLIGHTS SUDDENLY DIED. ALTHOUGH I WAS ABLE TO AVOID CRASHING, THIS IS A HUGE SAFETY CONCERN. I AM A 30 YEAR EXPERIENCED AUTO/MOTORCYCLE MECHANIC AND CERTIFIED AS AN AIRCRAFT MECHANIC, SO I TROUBLESHOT AND FOUND THE HEADLIGHT FAILURE WAS CAUSED BY AN OVERHEATED/BURNED GROUNDING CONNECTOR LOCATED IN THE WIRING HARNESS ABOVE THE LEFT HEADLIGHT SHELL (BURNT CONNECTOR AND/OR PHOTO AVAILABLE ON REQUEST). BECAUSE THE CONNECTOR WAS NO LONGER USEABLE, I CUT THE CONNECTOR OFF AND SOLDERED ALL THE WIRES TOGETHER TO RESTORE THE GROUND PATH FOR THE HEADLIGHTS. AS OF TODAY, WITH 52,000 MILES ON THE MOTORCYCLE, THERE HAVE BEEN NO ADDITIONAL FAILURES OF THE HEADLIGHTS. I HASTEN TO ADD THAT THIS FAILURE IS UNRELATED TO NHTSA CAMPAIGN # 11V-338, WHICH ADDRESSES A FAILURE OF A GROUNDING CONNECTOR UNDER THE FUEL TANK ON THE MOTORCYCLE. AS A VERY ACTIVE MEMBER IN THE ONLINE YAMAHA FJR1300 OWNERS COMMUNITY AT WWW.FJRFORUM.COM, I AM VERY IN TUNE WITH ALL MATTERS RELATED TO THIS MOTORCYCLE AND WOULD BE MORE THAN HAPPY TO ASSIST IN AN INVESTIGATION OF THIS SERIOUS SAFETY DEFECT. *KB

2007 FJR1300AE GROUNDING HARNESS FIRED AT CONNECTOR S4. A COMMON OCCURRENCE ON THESE MOTORCYCLES. ONCE THIS HAPPENS THE BIKE GOES DEAD AND IS UNRIDEABLE AS THE ENTIRE GROUNDING SYSTEM IS SHOT. VERY DANGEROUS TO HAVE HAPPEN AT SPEED. I HAD TO INSTALL AN AFTERMARKET GROUNDING HARNESS TO ALLEVIATE THE AMOUNT OF VOLTAGE RUNNING THROUGH THE ORIGINAL SYSTEM. I ALSO NEEDED TO CLEAN UP THE EXISTING GROUND SPIDERS AND REWIRE A FEW CONNECTIONS. *TR

THE ENGINE QUIT, AND EVERYTHING WENT DEAD EXCEPT FOR THE INSTRUMENT PANEL, WHERE EVERY LIGHT CAME ON, AND THE FUEL LEVEL LCD STARTED FLASHING. TURNING THE IGNITION OFF AND TAKING THE KEY OUT DID NOTHING. EVERYTHING STAYED LIT UP. THEN A FEW MINUTES LATER, EVERYTHING TURNED OFF, AND I WAS ABLE TO RE-INSERT THE KEY, AND START HER RIGHT UP. THIS HAPPENED IN TRAFFIC DURING A NORMAL COMMUTE, ON TWO OCCASIONS WITHIN 24 HOURS. IT WAS EASILY REPRODUCIBLE BY INSERTING THE KEY TURNING THE BIKE ON, AND REPEATING A FEW TIMES UNTIL IT RE-OCCURRED. AT THE SHOP, THEY DISCOVERED THE MAIN WIRING HARNESS HAD BEEN IMPROPERLY GROUNDED, CAUSING A SHORT THAT RESULTED IN SYSTEM-WIDE DISABLING OF THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM. *TR