YAMAHA Complaints

WHILE RIDING MY MOTORCYCLE IN 5TH GEAR, THE MOTORCYCLE MAKES A HIGHER PITCH SOUND. I TOOK IT THE LOCAL DEALERSHIP AND I WAS INFORMED THAT MY 5TH GEAR IS BEGINNING TO DISINTEGRATE. I KNOW THAT THERE HAVE BEEN REPORTS IN THE PAST BY OTHER OWNERS OF THE 2000 VSTAR 650. I AM CURIOUS TO KNOW WHY, WHEN THERE IS SUCH AN OBVIOUS DEFECT WITH A VEHICLE, THERE HAS BEEN NO INVESTIGATION REGARDING THIS MATTER. THE SERVICE ADVISOR KNEW EXACTLY WHAT THE PROBLEM WAS AS SOON AS I TOLD HIM IT WAS 2000 YEAR VSTAR. HE TOOK THE MOTORCYCLE FOR A TEST RIDE AND PROVIDED ME WITH THE SAME OPINION. THIS REPAIR IS THE OWNERS RESPONSIBILITY AT A COST OF 1500 TO 1700. *NM

THE MOTORCYCLE STALLED WHEN COMING TO A STOP,MOTORCYCLE ALSO WOULD NOT START BACK UP UNTIL TURNING KEY OFF THEN BACK ON. THE PROBLEM IS INTERMITENT AND HAS HAPPENED OVER 50 TIMES,THE BIKE SOMETIMES SURGES. *NM

MY 2004 YAMAHA R1 TPS SENSORS WENT BAD. 1.) AT ABOUT 10K MILES, IT HAS BEEN REPORTED ON: (THE FOLLOWING IS A LINK) HTTP://WWW.R1-FORUM.COM/FORUMS/SHOWTHREAD.PHP?S=091BBE4CDE9A70B4FD9AA3194BDEEEDE&THREADID=98831&HIGHLIGHT=ENGINE+DIES THIS KNOWN PROBLEM HAS BEEN REPORTED TO YAMAHA MANY TIMES. IT IS CRYSTAL CLEAR THEY REFUSE TO DO A RECALL. MY BIKE CUT OUT NUMEROUS TIMES ON THE FREEWAY. BEFORE KNOWING ABOUT THE LINK MENTIONED ABOVE, I WENT TO A AUTHORIZED MECHANIC IN WHERE THEY COULD NOT FIND THE PROBLEM, AS A BAD TPS SENSOR IS INTERMITTENT. I DID NOT FIND THE WEBSITE UNTIL LATER. 2.) AT 10K MILES MY TPS STOPPED WORKING, AND THE BIKE FAILED TO OPERATE CORRECTLY. IT WOULD LUNGE FORWARD, STOP ALL TOGETHER, AND DIE IN TRAFFIC. 3.) AFTER THE DEALER FAILED TO RECOGNIZE THE PROBLEM, I WENT ON THE ABOVE MENTIONED FORUM TO FIND OUT A LOT OF OTHER PEOPLE WHERE HAVING THE SAME EXACT PROBLEM. I ORDERED MY OWN REPLACEMENT SENSOR (FROM YAMAHA IN SEATTLE) THAT IS MARKED "200" ( A REVISION THAT YAMAHA DID SINCE ALL EARLY 2004 MODELS HAVE THIS PROBLEM) VS THE TPS "100" PART NUMBER. AFTER THIS THE BIKE WORKED PERFECT. I WAS SO DISGUSTED BY YAMAHA, I SOLD MY BIKE. I HAVE RECEIPTS TO PROVE I BOUGHT THE NEW SENSORS, AND WITNESSES THAT SAW ME INSTALL THEM AND RUN THE BIKE AFTERWARD WITH NO PROBLEM. *JB

I HAVE A 2004 YAMAHA R1 THAT WOULD IDLE DOWN TO 500 RPM AND THEN SHUT OFF WHILE BIKE WAS IN MOTION. THIS HAPPENED MANY TIMES UNTIL THE BIKE WOULD NOT RUN FOR A MILE BEFORE SHUTTING OFF. THE ONLY WAY TO SHUT THE BIKE BACK ON WAS TO TURN THE KEY COMPLETELY OFF AND THEN TURN THE BIKE BACK ON. I TOOK THE BIKE TO HEYSER CYCLE IN LAUREL, MD. THEY REPLACED THE TPS SENSORS WITH NO RESOLVE. THEN FINALLY REPLACED THE ENTIRE SET OF THROTTLE BODIES WHICH SEEMED TO CURE THE PROBLEM.. THIS WAS REPLACED IN MARCH OF 2005. I HAD APPROX. 11,000 MILES ON THE ODOMETER. THE PROBLEM HAS RECENTLY COME BACK WITH APPROXIMATELY 22,000 MILES ON THE ODOMETER. IT IS BACK IN THE SHOP WAITING FOR ANOTHER SET OF THROTTLE BODIES UNDER WARRANTY. *NM

2000 YAMAHA R6 2ND GEAR FAILURE. CENTRAL NJ. SWITCHING TO SECOND GEAR NOT SMOOTH AND COMES OUT OF SECOND GEAR. TRANSMISSION NOT WORKING CORRECTLY. I AM A SAFETY INSTRUCTOR AND KNOW HOW TO RIDE. THIS IS A MECHANICAL AND ENGINEERING ISSUE. PLEASE ADVISE AS TO THE STATUS OF THE INVESTIGATION. THIS IS A SAFETY CONCERN. THE MOTORCYCLE SLIPPING OUT OF GEAR WILL ACT LIKE A BRAKE AND COULD CAUSE THE BIKE TO ABRUPTLY SLOW DOWN AND COULD CAUSE A CRASH. THANK YOU, [XXX]. *NM INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR

THE VEHICLE BEING DESCRIBED IS A 2005 YAMAHA ROAD STAR WARRIOR (MOTORCYCLE) (1) I WAS RIDING MY MOTORCYCLE ON I-90 W THROUGH SOUTH DAKOTA. ABOUT 20 MILES WEST OF SIOUX FALLS THE BIKE BEGAN TO BACKFIRE AND JERK VIOLENTLY AT 2500 RPM. I EASED UP ON THE THROTTLE AND SLOWED DOWN TO ABOUT 60 MPH (THE SPEED LIMIT WAS 70 MPH). THE BIKE ACTED FINE AS LONG AS I KEPT GOING SLOW, SO I DECIDED TO TRY AND MAKE IT TO THE YAMAHA SHOP IN RAPID CITY. (2) FORTY MILES EAST OF RAPID CITY, THE BIKE ENGINE CUT OFF WITHOUT WARNING, CAUSING LOSS OF POWER IN THE REAR WHEEL, WHICH CAUSED A DRASTIC DECREASE IN SPEED. THIS INERTIA CAUSED ME TO BE JOLTED FORWARD ON THE BIKE. I WAS ABLE TO KEEP IT UNDER CONTROL AND PULL TO THE SIDE OF A FREEWAY. I LATER FOUND OUT THAT THE "CRANK POSITION SENSOR" WIRE LEADS HAD COME LOOSE, AS THEY ARE NOT STURDY ENOUGH FOR THEIR INTENDED PURPOSE. FORTUNATELY, I WAS GOING STRAIGHT WHEN THE ENGINE CUT OFF. IF I HAD BEEN BANKED IN A CURVE, COMPLETE LOSS OF POWER COULD HAVE EASILY CAUSED AN ACCIDENT AND SERIOUS INJURY. (3) THE MOTORCYCLE WAS TOWED TO BLACKHILLS POWERSPORTS IN RAPID CITY (605-342-5500) WHERE THEY DIAGNOSED THE PROBLEM AND EXPLAINED THAT IT WAS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH THIS MOTORCYCLE. THE MECHANIC EXPLAINED TO ME THAT YAMAHA HAD INSTALLED THE SENSOR WITH INFERIOR WIRES THAT OFTEN FAIL UNDER NORMAL RIDING CONDITIONS. WHEN THE WIRES COME UNHOOKED, THE MOTORCYCLE'S COMPUTER CUTS OFF THE ENGINE. THE YAMAHA CERTIFIED MECHANIC RE-SOLDERED THE CONNECTION AND REPAIRED THE PROBLEM. I THEN RODE IT HOME TO GREAT FALLS, MT WHERE IT GAVE OUT AGAIN ALONG THE WAY. I AM NOW PREPARING TO FIX THIS PROBLEM FOR A SECOND TIME IN A FEW DAYS TIME. *NM

MOTORCYCLE 2004 YAMAHA R1 THE MOTORCYCLE ENGINE CUTS OUT AND STARTS TO SURGE, AT IDLE THE RPMS DROP BY HALF AND USUALLY DIES TOTALLY. THIS HAPPENS ANYWHERE I STOP AND LET OFF THE GAS. I HAVE ALMOST WRECKED NUMEROUS TIMES BECAUSE OF THIS. IT STARTED ABOUT 1 YEAR AGO AT ABOUT 3000 MILES ON THE ODOMETER. *JB

2004 YAMAHA R1 WILL OCCASIONALLY SURGE ERRATICALLY WHILE RIDING AND VERY OFTEN STALL, USUALLY DURING LOW TO NO THROTTLE CONDITIONS. THIS IS SOMETHING THAT STARTED TO MANIFEST ITSELF WHEN I BOUGHT THE BIKE WITH 1,000 MILES AND HAS PROGRESSIVELY GOTTEN WORSE AND I AM NOW AT 2,500 MILES. THIS IS A DANGEROUS CONDITION IN THAT THE STALLING WILL OFTEN TAKE PLACE WHILE APPROACHING A TRAFFIC LIGHT, STOP SIGN, OR CORNERING DURING SLOWDOWN. VEHICLES FROM BEHIND DO NOT REALIZE THE BIKE HAS STALLED, AND SOMETIMES WANT TO KEEP ON GOING INTO THE BACK OF YOU. ITS A NUISANCE AND DANGER NOT ONLY TO THE RIDER OF THE MOTORCYCLE, BUT TO THE OTHER VEHICLES OCCUPANTS AS WELL. FROM THE PROGRESSIVE STATE OF THIS PROBLEM THAT I HAVE SEEN THUS FAR, I FEAR WHAT LIES IN THE AHEAD MILES. PLEASE INVESTIGATE THE PROBLEM ASAP BEFORE IT CAUSES A DEATH, SERIOUS INJURY, OR OTHER PROPERTY DAMAGE. I MYSELF HAVE BEEN LUCKY AND AVOIDED A FEW CLOSE CALLS DUE TO THIS ISSUE. *NM

MOTORCYCLE SURGES HEAVILY GOING DOWN THE ROAD, STALLS AT EVERY STOP SIGN, IT WILL STALL OUT IN TRAFFIC, THE MOTORCYCLE ALSO WILL STALL OUT WHEN GOING AROUND TURNS WHICH IS ALSO VERY DANGEROUS. NOTHING HAS BEEN DONE TO CORRECT THE ISSUE BECAUSE THE DEALER DOESN'T KNOW WHAT'S WRONG WITH IT.*JB

ON FEBRUARY OF 2004 I PURCHASED A BRAND NEW 2004 YAMAHA YZF-R1 FROM AN AUTHORIZED YAMAHA DEALER IN COVINA, CA. RECENTLY, I WAS RIDING THE ABOVE-MENTIONED MOTORCYCLE ON A RURAL HIGHWAY WHEN SUDDENLY AND WITHOUT WARNING STALLED. THE BIKE LOST ALL POWER AND THE REAR TIRE LOCKED UP SENDING THE BIKE INTO A REAR WHEEL SKID, I WAS ABLE TO PULL THE CLUTCH IN AND RECOVER CONTROL OF THE BIKE. I PULLED ALONG SIDE OF THE ROAD AND TRIED TO REGAIN MY COMPOSURE AS I HAD ALMOST CRASHED. I DECIDED TO CHECKED THE BIKE OVER, I LOOKED FOR OBVIOUS LOSE WIRES OR CONNECTIONS AND FOUND NONE. I CHECKED THE GAS LEVEL AND I HAD OVER HALF A TANK OF FUEL REMAINING. I TRIED CALLING MY LOCAL DEALERSHIP BUT THERE WAS NO CELL PHONE SIGNAL IN THAT PARTICULAR AREA. HAVING NO OTHER RECOURSE, I RELUCTANTLY DECIDED TO RIDE THE MOTORCYCLE HOME. ON THE WAY HOME THE MOTORCYCLE STALLED TWO MORE TIMES IN LESS THAN A 15-MILE DISTANCE. THANKFULLY I WAS ABLE TO ADJUST MY RIDING TO COMPENSATE FOR THE STALLING. A FEW DAYS LATER I LOADED THE MOTORCYCLE IN THE BACK OF MY PICK-UP TRUCK AND TOOK IT TO A LOCAL YAMAHA DEALERSHIP. I DESCRIBED THE PROBLEM TO THE LEAD MECHANIC WHOM SEEMED PERPLEXED BY MY DESCRIPTION OF THE PROBLEM. I TOLD THE MECHANIC THAT I WAS A MEMBER OF AN ONLINE FORUM, WWW.R1-FORUM.COM, AND THAT I HAD READ OF OTHER YAMAHA R1 OWNERS WITH SIMILAR PROBLEMS. HE AGREED TO TAKE A LOOK AT THE PROBLEM. THE MECHANIC GAVE THE BIKE A CURSORY LOOK AND DETERMINED THAT THERE WAS NOTHING WRONG THAT HE COULD DETERMINE. I EXPLAINED TO THE MECHANIC THAT OTHER MEMBERS OF THE FORUM HAD CRASHED BECAUSE OF SIMILAR PROBLEMS AND THAT I WAS CONCERNED. I PLEADED WITH HIM TO CALL YAMAHA MOTOR CORP. TO SEE IF ANYONE ELSE HAD SIMILAR PROBLEMS OR IF THEY HAD ISSUED A SAFETY WARNING OR ANYTHING SIMILAR. I HAVE NOT HEARD ANYTHING BACK FROM THE DEALER AND I HAVE TRIED TO CONTACT THEM SEVERAL TIMES ABOUT THIS ISSUE.