YAMAHA Complaints

MY NEW 2003 YAMAHA ROAD STAR WARRIOR MOTORCYCLE EXERIENCED A CATASTROPHIC BRAKE SYSTEM FAILURE ON 7/23/03. THE MOTORCYCLE HAD APPROXIMATELY 630 MILES ON IT AT THE TIME OF THE FAILURE (CURRENT ODOMETER IS 632), AND WAS PURCHASED NEW FROM MOTOPRIMO MOTORSPORTS, MINNEAPOLIS AT THE BEGINNING OF MAY.*AK THE MOTORCYCLE EXPERIENCED DAMAGE TO THE RIGHT (REAR BRAKE) FOOTREST ASSEMBLY, AND WAS REPLACED WITH A STOCK PART. THE BRAKE ASSEMBLY CAUSED MINUTE FRICTION TO BE APPLIED TO THE REAR BRAKE ROTOR, SUPERHEATING IT. THE BREAK LINE EXPLODED, SPRAYING BRAKE FLUID ONTO THE WHITE-HOT ROTOR. THIS IGNITED THE BRAKE FLUID, CAUSING A SIZEABLE FIRE. THERE WAS NO RIDER ON THE BIKE AT THE TIME, BUT IF THIS HAD HAPPENED WHILE RIDING, THIS PROBLEM WOULD HAVE CAUSED A COMPLETE FAILURE OF THE REAR BRAKING SYSTEM, POTENTIALLY RESULTING IN AN ACCIDENT.

SPEEDOMETER DOES NOT FUNCTION CORRECTLY. THE SYMPTOM IS RANDOM AND SEEMS TO HAPPEN ON HOT DAYS OR WHEN THE MOTORCYCLE IS IN DIRECT SUNLIGHT.*AK

I HAVE A 2002 YAMAHA ROAD STAR WARRIOR. I BOUGHT THE MOTORCYCLE NEW FROM THE DEALER AS A 2002 LEFTOVER IN MAY OF 2003. A FEW WEEKS AFTER I BOUGHT THE MOTORCYCLE, I WAS RIDING DOWN THE ROAD AND THE BIKE STARTED TO SLOW DOWN ON ITS OWN. BEING A FEW MILES FROM A FRIEND'S HOUSE, I DECIDED IT WOULD BE SAFER TO STOP THERE, SO I CONTINUED ON TO HIS HOUSE. WHEN I PULLED IN THE DRIVEWAY, I NOTICED MY REAR BRAKE ROTOR WAS GLOWING RED AND THE WHOLE CALIPER WAS SMOKING AND HOT. THE BRAKE LINE MELTED AND LEAKED FLUID ON THE HOT CALIPER AND THEN CAUGHT FIRE. I WAS ABLE TO EXTINGUISH THE FIRE WITH A WATER HOSE AND EVENTUALLY TRAILERED THE MOTORCYCLE TO THE DEALER WHO EVENTUALLY FIXED IT AFTER I HAD TO SPEND MY OWN MONEY BUY AN AFTERMARKET STEEL BRAIDED BRAKE LINE BECAUSE THEY COULD NOT GET A STOCK PART FROM THE MANUFACTURER FOR SEVERAL WEEKS. THE REST OF THE WORK WAS DONE UNDER THE MANUFACTURER'S WARRANTY. I KNOW OF SEVERAL OTHER INSTANCES WITH THE ROAD STAR WARRIOR WHERE THE REAR BRAKE FAILED IN A SIMILAR MANNER.*AK

LTR FM RICHARD BROWN ASKING THE YAMAHA CORP TO LOOK INTO THE TRANSMISSION FAILURE ON THE YAMAHA ROADSTAR MIDNIGHT STAR MOTORCYCLE. *SCC (2002 YAMAHA ROADSTAR MIDNIGHT STAR) *JB

I AM CONCERNED ABOUT THE NUMBER OF TRANSMISSION LOCK UPS IN ROAD STARS. I OWN A 2001 MIDNIGHT, STAR AND TRANSMISSION IS VERY NOISY DURING SHIFTS.*AK

I SUSTAINED INJURIES WHEN MY YAMAHA GRIZZLY 660 YFM660FR ATV STALLED AND VAPOR LOCKED ON A HILL. IT ROLLED ON TOP OF ME CAUSING BRUISED RIBS AND BRUISED INTERNAL ORGANS.

2001 YAMAHA ROYAL STAR, TOUR DELUXE MOTORCYCLE. IGNITION SWITCH WENT BAD. LIGHTS STAY ON WHEN KEY IS REMOVED. ENGINE STILL CRANKS WITH KEY REMOVED BUT WON'T START UNLESS KEY IS IN THE 'ON' POSITION. IGNITION SWITCH GETS EXTREMELY HOT.

SPEEDOMETER ON MY 2002 YAMAHA ROAD STAR WARRIOR STICKING...HAD IT SEVICED AND REPLACED AND PROBLEM STILL EXIST.*AK

I OWN A 2002 YAMAHA ROAD STAR WARRIOR. THE FUEL "QUICK DISCONNECTS" ARE IN MY OPINION, DESIGNED & ENGINEERED VERY POORLY. THEY VIBRATE OFF THE SEAT. THEY HAVE NEVER LEAKED FUEL, THE LOCKING TAB MAKES IT STAY LOCKED SO IT WON'T LEAK. HOWEVER, WHEN IT IS AGAINST THE LOCKING TAB, IT MOVES OFF ITS SEAT ABOUT 3/16" AND RESULTS IN NO FUEL FLOW FROM THE UPPER TANK TO THE LOWER TANK WHERE THE ELECTRIC FUEL PUMP IS. THAT RESULTS IN A "STALL" SITUATION. I WAS SITTING AT A RED LIGHT WAITING FOR IT TO TURN GREEN, I STARTED OUT AS I ALWAYS DO. I WAS AT 8 MPH & THE BIKE STALLED OUT. THE LADY BEHIND CAME WITHIN INCHES OF REARENDING ME, NO EXAGGERATION. I WAS SCARED, MY HEART WAS RACING. IT WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN HER FAULT, SHE SAW NO BRAKE LIGHT AS I WAS NOT APPLYING THE BRAKES. NO, I WASN'T HURT THIS TIME. BUT IF IT WOULD HAVE HAPPENED, I WONDER IF YAMAHA MOTOR CORP. WOULD HAVE TOLD MY WIFE & DAUGHTER, "SORRY WE DESIGNED A PISSPOOR FUEL CONNECTOR THAT GOT YOUR HUSBAND & FATHER KILLED". THIS ALSO RESULTS IN A LOW FUEL LIGHT SOMETIMES EVEN WHEN THE TANK HAS PLENTY OF FUEL. THIS CONNECTOR NEEDS TO BE REDESIGNED SO AS NOT TO BACK OFF WHEN THE CONNECTOR IS FULLY SEATED. BUT IT WILL VIBRATE ENOUGH TO COME OFF ITS SEAT JUST ENOUGH TO POSSIBLY KILL SOMEONE ALL BECAUSE OF DECREASED FUEL FLOW. PLEASE SHOW THIS TO YAMAHA. I KNOW ONE PERSON WITH A COMPLAINT LIKE THIS WON'T MEAN "CRAP" TO THEM BUT I FEEL IT NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED. NOT LOOKED INTO BUT REMEDIED. I'VE WORKED ON GENERAL MOTORS VEHICLES FOR 14 YEARS, I'M AN ASE CERTIFIED MASTER TECH SO I'M NOT TALKING OUT OF MY [XXX]. I KNOW A THING OR TWO ABOUT MOTORIZED VEHICLES. I'M NOT GOING OFF OF SOMETHING SOMEONE ELSE HAS SAID. A LOT OF WARRIOR OWNERS HAVE EXPERIENCED THIS FAILURE. TRY RSWARRIOR.COM FORUM & SEE FOR YOURSELF. MY VIN # IS [XXX]. I KNOW YAMAHA DOESN'TCARE! [XXX]. *AK INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR

I HAVE A 2002 YAMAHA V-STAR 1100 THAT THE STARTER BOLTS ARE JUST STARTING TO TWIST. APPERENTLY THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH ALL 1999-2002 YAMAHA V-STAR 1100 MOTORCYCLES. IN MODEL YEAR 2003 YAMAHA REDESIGNED THE STARTER TO PREVENT KICKBACK FROM DAMAGING THE STARTER. SINCE THE OLDER STARTERS DON'T HAVE THIS DESIGN, THEY ARE DAMAGED EVERY TIME THAT THE ENGINE KICKS BACK. YAMAHA CLAIMS THAT THE FAILURES ARE BECAUSE OF OPERATOR ERROR IN STARTING THE MOTORCYCLE, BUT IF THAT IS SO, HOW COME THE REDESIGN OF THE STARTER IN 2003. I BELONG TO THE INTERNATIONAL STAR RIDERS ASSOCIATION, WWW.STAR-RIDERS.ORG, AND WE CONDUCTED A POLL OF CURRENT V-STAR 1100 OWNERS WITH STARTER PROBLEMS. THIS WEB ADDRESS, HTTP://PEOPLE.DELPHIFORUMS.COM/DADBENNY/ DOCUMENTS THE PROBLEMS WITH THESE STARTERS. YAMAHA NEEDS TO ISSUE A RECALL AND REPLACE THE OLDER STYLE STARTERS WITH THE NEWLY REDESIGNED STARTERS. $319 TO REPLACE A STARTER ON A NEW BIKE IS RATHER STEEP. HERE IS A EXCERPT FROM ONE OF OUR MEMBERS. YAMAHA SAYS IT HAS A TORQUE LIMITER BUILT INTO IT AND THERE IS A ROUGH DIAGRAM OF IT IN THE TECH BULLENTIN. THE OUTSIDES WERE BEEFED UP, BUT THE LARGER HEAD IS NECESSARY TO HOUSE THE TORQUE LIMITER. BEAR IN MIND THIS DOESN'T ELIMINATE KICKBACK ONLY HELPS EASE THE PAIN IT CAUSES TO THE ONE-WAY STARTER CLUTCH AND STARTER. THE "OFFICIAL" REASON FROM YAMAHA'S REP FOR THE MID-ATLANTIC FOR THE NEW STARTER IS TELLING. HE CLAIMS THE ORIGINAL STARTER IS FINE. I ASKED HIM WHY, IF THERE IS NOTHING WRONG WITH THE ORIGINAL STARTER AND STARTER CLUTCH DID THEY SPEND THE TIME AND MONEY TO REDESIGN IT. HIS REPLY, AND I QUOTE, "CUSTOMER CONVENIENCE". *AK