YAMAHA Complaints

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 YAMAHA ROAD STAR MOTORCYCLE. WHILE TRAVELING 35 MPH, THE CONTACT HEARD A GRINDING NOISE IN THE REAR OF THE MOTORCYCLE. THE CONTACT ALSO NOTICED A BURNING ODOR AND DISCOVERED THAT THE MAIN FRAME SUPPORT BASE AND SUPPORT BRACKET WERE FRACTURED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER STATED THAT THE FAILURE WAS NOT DUE TO A MANUFACTURER DEFECT. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 24,000.

WHILE RIDING AT LOW RPM'S IN 3RD GEAR A LOUD "CLACKING" IS PRESENT. I CONTACTED MY YAMAHA DEALER AND WAS ADVISED THAT THERE IS A "REPLACEMENT" 3RD GEAR LISTED FOR THAT MODEL AND YEAR, HOWEVER, YAMAHA IS NOT ACKNOWLEDGING THE KNOWN DEFECT WHICH COULD RESULT IN CATASTROPHIC LOSS OF POWER. *TR

THE SPEEDOMETER DISPLAY ON THIS BIKE COMPLETELY WASHES OUT IN THE BRIGHT SUN MAKING IT HARD TO ENSURE ADHERENCE TO SPEED LIMITS. THE USE OF POLARIZED SUNGLASSES OR LENSES MAKES THE VISIBILITY OF THIS DISPLAY EVEN MORE DIFFICULT. *TR

GOING SOUTH BOUND ON I15 AND HAD A SEMI BEHIND ME AND ALL OF A SUDDEN THE BIKES CUTS OUT LIKE IT'S RUNNING OUT OF FUEL IT SLOWED ME DOWN TO 55 MY AND GLANCED IN MY MIRROR AND SEEN THE SEMI RIGHT ON MY BUT AS IF HE DID NOTICE ME SLOWING DOWN THEN ALL OF A SUDDEN THE BIKE STARTS GOING AGAIN AND I WAS ABLE TO GO OVER THREE LANES TO GET OUT OF HIS WAY I STAYED THEIR NOT KNOWING IF IT WAS GOING TO HAPPEN AGAIN AND OF COURSE IT DID IT HAPPENED THREE TIMES BEFORE I DECIDED TO GET OFF THE FREE WAY THIS PROBLEM SHOULD BE RECALLED TO HAVE THE ISSUE RESOLVED IT COULD END UP SOMEONE GETTING HURT OR KILLED DEPENDING ON THE SITUATION. I HAVE GOT ON MOTORCYCLE FORUMS TO FIND OUT THE PROBLEM AND SEE IF ANYONE ELSE HAS HAD THIS PROBLEM AND THEIR HAS BEEN QUITE OF FEW PEOPLE AND MY BET IS THAT NOT TO MANY HAVE REPORTED THE PROBLEM. *TR

I WAS RIDING ON I-95N IN NE GEORGIA, AT A HIGHWAY SPEED OF AROUND 110MPH, WHEN ALL OF A SUDDEN THE OUTPUT SHAFT/FRONT SPROCKET NUT DECIDED TO COME LOOSE AND FALL OFF...THIS CAUSED THE SPROCKET TO SLIP AND ME TO LOSE ALL POWER ON THE INTERSTATE. IF THAT CHAIN HAD LOCKED UP THE REAR WHEEL (WHICH IT EASILY COULD HAVE) IT WOULD HAVE BEEN AN ACCIDENT...YAMAHA DOESN'T SEEM TO CARE THOUGH...NOT ONLY COULD THIS PROBLEM CAUSE A LOT OF ACCIDENTS AND DEATHS..BUT THEY ARE WELL AWARE OF ONE THING THAT HAPPENS WHEN THIS BOLT COMES OFF, IT RUINS THE TEETH ON THE OUTPUT SHAFT!...SO BE SURE TO HAVE A SPARE ENGINE LAYING AROUND, BECAUSE ALL THESE CHEAPSKATES AT YAMAHA ARE WILLING TO REPLACE IS THE FAULTY BOLT THAT THEY CHOSE TO USE IN THE FIRST PLACE! I WILL NEVER RIDE OR BUY A YAMAHA EVERY AGAIN!!! THIS SAME PROBLEM WITH THE NUT ALSO AFFECTS THE R1. *TR

WHEN RIDING INTO BRIGHT SUNLIGHT IT IS NOT POSSIBLE TO READ THE SPEEDOMETER OR ODOMETER. *TR

I WAS RIDING ALONG ON US 380 IN MCKINNEY, TX AND AS I APPROACHED A SIGNAL LIGHT, I BEGAN TO SLOW DOWN AND THAT'S WHEN I HEARD A MYSTERIOUS WINING SOUND. THE SIGNAL TURNED GREEN AND AS I BEGAN TO ACCELERATE, THE WINING PROGRESSED TO A LOUD CLANKING AND GRINDING SOUND SO I STOPPED TO CHECK THE DRIVE SHAFT, IT WAS FINE. I CALLED FOR A TRAILER AND TRANSPORTATION OF THE MOTORCYCLE BACK TO MY HOMETOWN OF DENISON, TX, 52 MILES ONE WAY. UPON RETURNING HOME, I DISMANTLED THE MOTORCYCLE AND FOUND THAT THE NUT ON THE OF POWER SHAFT (MIDDLE DRIVE GEAR) HAD BROKEN OFF. IN, DOING SO IT DESTROYED A FEW OTHER PARTS INSIDE THE GEARBOX AS WELL. I WAS QUOTED $3000.00 AT MY LOCAL YAMAHA DEALERSHIP. IF I PURCHASE THE PARTS AND DO IT MYSELF I'M LOOKING AT ABOUT $1500.00 TO FIX IT. EITHER WAY, I DO NOT HAVE THE FINANCES AT THE TIME TO FIX IT, THIS IS MY ONLY TRANSPORTATION. I HAVE TALKED TO SEVERAL PEOPLE IN PERSON AND THROUGH YAMAHA FORUMS THAT HAVE HAD THE SAME PROBLEM. SOMETHING NEEDS TO BE DONE! YAMAHA IS AWARE OF THIS PROBLEM AND REFUSES TO MAKE IT RIGHT BY THEIR CUSTOMERS. *TR

SMOKE COLORED SPEEDOMETER LENS TOO DARK IN BRIGHT SUNLIGHT, ESPECIALLY WHEN WEARING POLARIZED SUNGLASSES. THIS CREATES A HAZARD WHEN ATTEMPTING TO GAUGE SPEED DURING CITY OR HIGHWAY RIDING. *JS

AS SOON AS THE CLUTCH WAS HELD IN ROLLING INTO A RED LIGHT, THE RPM'S WENT STRAIGHT TO ZERO AND STALLED. IT WAS EVEN HARDER RESTARTING THE BIKE AGAIN. THIS IS A MAJOR CONCERN, MANY PEOPLE ON FORUMS HAVE BEEN HAVING THE SAME ISSUE WITH THE MOTORCYCLE AND IT NEEDS TO BE FIXED BECAUSE ITS DANGEROUS. *TR

3RD GEAR IN TRANSMISSION STARTED WITH A WHINNING NOISE AND NOW IT SOUNDS LIKE A BUNCH OF ROCKS INSIDE LIKE GEARS THAT HAVE BROKEN SLOSHING AROUND. I SEE THAT ON THE WEB THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM FOR 3RD GEAR ON YAMAHA ROADLINERS. IS THIS A MANUFACTURER PROBLEM? *TR