2003 YAMAHA ROAD STAR Complaints

FUEL TANK ON A FIVE YEAR OLD MOTORCYCLE HAS RUSTED THROUGH AND MULTIPLE PIN HOLES HAVE FORMED. GAS LEAKED ON HOT MOTOR CREATING SAFETY ISSUE. MANUFACTURER WILL NOT FIX OR REPLACE TANK. PER MANUFACTURER THERE IS NO COATING ON THE INSIDE OF THE FUEL TANK TO PROTECT THE BARE METAL FROM RUSTING. MOTORCYCLE HAS BEEN GARAGE KEPT SINCE PURCHASED NEW IN 2003. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 YAMAHA ROAD STAR. WHILE DRIVING 55 MPH, THE REAR TIRE STRUCK THE TOP OF THE REAR FENDER. THE DEALER STATED THAT THE REAR SHOCK MOUNT CAUSED THE FAILURE; AS OF NOVEMBER 19, 2007, THE DEALER HAD NOT REPAIRED THE VEHICLE. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 59,000. UPDATED 12/04/07

VISITING DAYTONA BIKE WEEK 2007. ENGINE SHUT DOWN WHILE TRAVELING AT HIGHWAY SPEED ON FREEWAY. AFTER MOTORISTS GRACIOUSLY ALLOWED ME THROUGH TRAFFIC TO THE SHOULDER HAD ERROR CODE 12 AND MOTORCYCLE WOULD NOT START. TRAILERED TO YAMAHA DEALER AND THEY SAID CRANKCASE POSITION SENSOR (CPS) HAD BECOME SEPARATED FROM ITS CONNECTING WIRE INSIDE THE ENGINE. LOCAL DEALER FIXED NEXT DAY AT COST OF SEVERAL HUNDRED DOLLARS. DID NOT HAVE PART SO SOLDERED CONNECTION. CONCERNS: A) PART SHOULD BE REPLACED NOT REPAIRED; B) THIS IS OCCURRING ON MANY OTHER CYCLES AND IS A DANGEROUS EVENT WHEN IN TRAFFIC OR AT HIGH SPEEDS. *TR

CARBURETOR ON 2003 YAMAHA ROADSTAR (XV1600) WILL SPIT GAS OUT ON HOT CYLINDER HEADS AND CRANKCASE UNPREDICTABLY. HAPPENS WHEN RESTARTING ENGINE AFTER ENGINE HAS BEEN STOPPED FOR A SHORT PERIOD AFTER COMING IN FROM A RIDE. RIDE CAN BE SHORT OR LONG; UNPREDICTABLE. WAS CHECKED BY DEALER DURING FIRST FEW MONTHS WHEN NEW AND CARB NEEDLE WAS REPLACED. PROBLEM HAS PERSISTED AND OCCURS EVERY FEW MONTHS THEREAFTER AND IS ONLY RESOLVED BY TURNING OFF FUEL VALVE BEFORE STOPPING SO CARB EMPTIES. NUMEROUS OTHER RIDERS HAVE SEEN SAME PROBLEM. LAST EVENT FOR ME SHOWN BELOW IN INCIDENT DATE. *JB

WHILE RIDING M Y 2003 YAMAHA ROADSTAR I HAD PROBLEMS GETTING IT TO SHIFT INTO 4TH GEAR. I CHECKED THE INTERNET FOR ANY RECALLS ON THE BIKE. WHEN I FOUND THAT THERE IS A RECALL I TOOK THE BIKE TO MY LOCAL DEALER, THE RAN THE VIN# AND SAID THAT IT HAD ALREADY BEEN DONE. THE RECALL STATES THAT AFTER THE MODIFICATIONS ARE COMPLETE STAMP A "*" ABOVE THE A ON THE VIN#. MY BIKE DOES NOT HAVE THE STAMP, THE DEALER SAID THAT DON'T MATTER BECAUSE HE KNOWS IT WAS DONE. I DO NOT FEEL SAFE RIDING THE BIKE SINCE THE RECALL STATES DO NOT RIDE SERIOUS INJURY OR DEATH WILL RESULT. IF THE BIKE SHIFTED PROPERLY I WOULD FEEL MORE CONFIDENT THAT THE WORK WAS COMPLETED. *JB

RIDING 2003 YAMAHA ROADSTAR WARRIOR ON PUBLIC HIGHWAY ENGINE STOPPED, DIAGNOSTIC CODE 12 SHOWED ON SPEEDOMETER CPS( CRANK SHAFT POSITIONING SENSOR) WIRE BROKE. NEED TO ORDER NEW SENSOR. *JB

YAMAHA ROAD STAR WARRIOR ENGINE STALLED ON HIGHWAY EXAMINATION REVEALED A CUT OFF WIRE FROM CPS TIMING SENSOR. WIRE'S ARE UNDER GREAT TENSION. *NM

THE FORWARD HORN BRACKET ON MY 2003 YAMAHA ROAD STAR HAS REGULARLY BROKEN AT 5000 MILE INTERVALS. I TOOK ONE AND BEEFED IT UP WITH WELDED-IN ROD AND ANGLED BRACKETS BUT IT STILL ONLY LASTED 15000 MILES. MY DEALER SAYS THEY HAVE REPORTED THIS PROBLEM TO YAMAHA, BUT WHEN I CALL THE CUSTOMER SERVICE LINE, THEY CLAIM TO HAVE NO KNOWLEDGE OF THIS PROBLEM. I ALSO INSTALLED AN EXTERNAL OIL COOLER ON THE BIKE AND HAD THAT BRACKET BREAK (I FEEL DUE TO THE EXTREME VIBRATIONS INHERENT IN THE BIKE)! NOW, ON THE NEW ROADLINER, THEY HAVE ADDRESSED THESE PROBLEMS, BUT WITHOUT CONFIRMING THAT THEY EXIST. *JB

NHTSA RECALL 03V309000 REGARDING TRANSMISSION FAILURE. AFTER HAVING RECALL REPAIRS DONE, A WEEK LATER, CONSUMER HEARD A LOUD NOISE, AND TOOK IT BACK TO THE DEALER FOR INSPECTION. *AK

CONSUMER RECEIVED RECALL 03V309000 CONCERNING TRANSMISSION FAILURE. CONSUMER HAD THE RECALL NOTICE SINCE JANUARY, AND DEALER HAD NOT RECEIVED THE PARTS AS OF YET.*AK