2015 YAMAHA FZ-09 Complaints

I WAS IN THE PROCESS OF INSTALLING NEW CLUTCH PLATES WHEN I NOTICED THAT MY CLUTCH BASKET WAS CRACKED IN TWO PLACES. AFTER A QUICK GOOGLE SEARCH, I WAS DISAPPOINTED TO SEE THAT CRACKING CLUTCH BASKETS ARE A COMMON ISSUE WITH MY FIRST GENERATION FZ09. I HAD TO LEAVE MY MOTORCYCLE AT MY FRIENDS HOUSE BECAUSE OF THIS AND CANNOT PROVIDE PICTURES AT THE MOMENT. THERE IS NO TELLING WHEN THE BASKET CRACKED.

THE REAR SUSPENSION SHOCK ABSORBER IS RUSTED AT ALL OF THE REAR WELDED POINTS. THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN GARAGED AND IS IN A LOW HUMIDITY DESERT OF ARIZONA. THE RUST FROM THE WELDS HAS TRAVELED UP ALONG WHERE TWO PARTS OF THE SHOCK ASSEMBLY IS CONNECTED. THERE IS NO WAY TO DISASSEMBLE THE SHOCK TO CLEAN OFF THE RUST AND REFINISH IT. TO MY KNOWLEDGE, ONLY THE 2015 MODEL YEAR IS AFFECTED, SINCE YAMAHA CHANGED THE DESIGN OF THE REAR SHOCK ASSEMBLY FROM 2016.

DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD AT 50MPH WHEN A ANIMAL CAME OUT OF THE DITCH. I THEN PULLED CLUTCH IN SO I COULD BRAKE. ONCE I DID THIS THE BIKE STALLED. TO GET THE BIKE GOING AGAIN I RELEASED THE CLUTCH, BUT ONCE I DID THIS THE BIKE JUST LOCKED THE BACK TIRE. I THEN PULLED CLUTCH IN AGAIN AND THEN IT STARTED. I ATTEMPTED TO PULL TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD, WHEN I NOTICED THAT THE CLUTCH WAS NOT DISENGAGING I KNEW THERE WAS SOMETHING WRONG. GOT THE BIKE BACK HOME, AND PULLED THE CLUTCH CASE OFF TO FIND TWO CLUTCH DISKS HAD SHATTERED. THIS ALSO CAUSED THE CLUTCH BASKET TO BREAK. NOW THERE IS METAL FLOATING ALL AROUND MY MOTOR.

CLUTCH BASKET CUSH BUMPERS PREMATURELY WEARING OUT, CAUSING FREEPLAY BETWEEN RING GEAR AND BASKET. ANY PLAY WHATSOEVER IS ABNORMAL AND WILL CAUSE EXCESSIVE VIBRATIONS. VIBRATIONS WITHIN THE CLUTCH ASSEMBLY WILL CAUSE PLATES TO BREAK POTENTIALLY CAUSING A CRASH.

CLUTCH HOUSING AND FRICTION PLATES BREAK WITHOUT NOTICE, CAN CAUSE WHEEL LOCKUP AND/OR ENGINE SEIZURE RESULTING IN CRASH

SINCE DAY ONE OF OWNING MY BRAND NEW 2015 YAMAHA FZ09 (BUILD DATE 01/2015) I HAVE NOTICED A SMALL CRACK ON THE FRAME OF THE BIKE. I ORIGINALLY THOUGHT THIS WAS JUST A SURFACE DEFECT. AFTER TALKING WITH OTHER OWNERS WITH BIKES THAT WERE BUILT NEAR THE SAME TIME AS MINE, WE HAVE REALIZED THEY ALL HAVE THE SAME CRACK. ONE MEMBER HAS COMPLAINED TO YAMAHA, AND HAD THEIR FRAME REPLACED MAKING US THINK THAT THIS COULD BE A LARGER ISSUE. THIS IS A CRACK IN THE FRAME WHICH COULD PROPAGATE AND CAUSE A WRECK. THE CRACK GOES THROUGH THE FRAME MEMBER AND CAN BE SEN ON THE OTHER SIDE. CURRENTLY IT HAS CAUSED NO HARM, BUT MOTORCYCLES GET TOTALED OUT BY INSURANCE COMPANIES EACH DAY FOR HAVING TINY CRACKS IN THE FRAME.

BOUGHT A BRAND NEW 2015 YAMAHA FZ-09 IN YEAR 2016. MY BIKE AND MANY OTHERS HAVE A DEFECT IN THE FRAME, AND I CHOSE TO DIG DEEPER TO SEE IF IT WAS A CRACK OR CASTING MARK. YAMAHA HAD THE DEALERSHIP TAKE THE TANK OFF AND AND LOOK ON THE INSIDE, AND SURE ENOUGH, IT WAS CRACKED IN THE SAME AREA SAME PLACE ONLY ON THE OPPOSITE SIDE OF THE MAIN FRAME AS WELL. TO MAKE SURE THE DEALERSHIP TOOK IT TO AN AUTO BODY FACILITY TO SAND BLAST THE AREA, AND THAT CONFIRMED THAT IT WAS INDEED A CRACK. MANY MANY MORE 2015'S HAVE THE SAME ISSUE, AND TWO OF THE SHOWROOM BRAND NEW 2015'S JUST LIKE MINE HAVE THE SAME MARKINGS.

ANY TIME THE VEHICLE EXCEEDS 70 MPH THE FRONT BRAKE LEVER BECOMES DIFFICULT TO APPLY AND THE FRONT BRAKES DO NOT WORK. THE BRAKE LEVER REQUIRES MULTIPLE CYCLES OF SQUEEZE AND RELEASE TO BECOME EFFECTIVE AGAIN.