YAMAHA Complaints

THIRD GEAR BEGAN MAKING A NOISE THAT CONTINUES TO GET WORSE. IT IS NOW SUCH A LOUD CLATTERING SLAPPING NOISE THAT THE VEHICLE IS UNUSABLE FOR FEAR OF DRIVE TRAIN LOCK-UP AND POSSIBLE FATALITY. YAMAHA IS AWARE OF THIS ISSUE AND HAS A REPLACEMENT PART: GEAR, 3RD PINION, P/N 99999-03864-00 (REPLACES 1D7-17131-01-00). *TR

THE LCD DISPLAY ON THE SPEEDOMETER IS NOT VISIBLE WHEN DRIVING DURING THE DAY, ESPECIALLY IN DIRECT SUNLIGHT. I CAN'T READ MILES PER HOUR (MPH) OR ANYTHING ELSE ON THE LCD DISPLAY WHICH I FEEL IS A SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUE. *TR

THE BIKE STARTED SHUTTERING SO BAD, THE MIRRORS SHOOK LOOSE AND I THOUGHT I WAS GOING TO CRASH. I WAS ABLE TO SAFELY STOP THE BIKE AND HAD IT TOWED BACK HOME. A MECHANIC LOOKED AT IT AND SAID THE CENTER DRIVELINE MAY POSSIBLY BE COMING LOOSE. THE BIKE SHAKES WHEN ANY TORQUE IS APPLIED TO THE MOTOR, AND IT'S COMING FROM UNDER THE RIDER SEAT. EXACTLY WHERE THE DRIVELINE IS HOUSED. YAMAHA MUST RECALL AND FIX THIS ISSUE BEFORE THE REAR TIRE LOCKS UP WHILE RIDING. *TR

I WAS DRIVING THE MOTORCYCLE ON A 4 LANE DIVIDED HIGHWAY IN THE INSIDE LANE, WHEN (AT ABOUT 55 MPH) I SHIFTED INTO 5TH GEAR AND HEARD A "CLUNK" SOUND IN THE TRANSMISSION, AND THE REAR WHEEL SUDDENLY LOCKED UP AND THE BIKE WENT INTO A SKID (THERE WAS A LOT OF TRAFFIC BEHIND ME, AS WE HAD JUST LEFT A HEAVILY POPULATED SIGNAL ON THE ROADWAY AND MY RIDING PARTNER (MY WIFE) WAS IN FRONT OF ME). SINCE THERE WAS A LOT OF TRAFFIC BEHIND ME, I TRIED TO CONTROL THE SKID AS LONG AS POSSIBLE AND STEER INTO THE GRASSY MEDIAN TO AVOID BEING RUN OVER BY VEHICLES BEHIND ME. HOWEVER, ONCE THE FRONT TIRE MADE CONTACT WITH THE GRASSY MEDIAN, THE REAR TIRE (WHICH WAS STILL LOCKED UP) SLID AROUND, AND I WAS EJECTED FROM THE BIKE AT APPROXIMATELY 30 MPH. I SUSTAINED NON-LIFE THREATENING INJURIES TO MY RIGHT SHOULDER, BACK AND SIDE. THE REAR TIRE IS STILL LOCKED UP, AND THE BIKE CANNOT BE PUSHED OR MOVED WITHOUT SOME TYPE OF LIFT TO GET THE REAR WHEEL OFF THE GROUND. *TR

HAD THE RECALL DONE ON THIS BIKE PER THE RECALL LETTER. ON OCT 18 2012 LOST ALL LIGHTS...WHEN I WAS ABLE TO GET BIKE HOME FOUND A GROUND CONNECTOR HAD MELTED. THE FIX BY YAMAHA DO NOT (THE BIKE NEEDS A NEW WIRE HARNESS NOT A JUMPER. *TR

THE SPEEDOMETER FACE LENS DOES NOT ALLOW THE DIGITAL SPEEDO DISPLAY TO BE CLEARLY VISIBLE WHEN DRIVING INTO BRIGHT SUNLIGHT. THIS IS A COMMON COMPLAINT AMONG BOLT OWNERS. *TR

WHEN DRIVING DURING DAYLIGHT HOURS THE SPEEDOMETER CAN BECOME DIFFICULT, IF NOT IMPOSSIBLE TO READ. THE ADDED EFFORT NEEDED TO GET A SPEED READING DISTRACTS FROM OPERATING A 2 WHEELED VEHICLE CREATING A DANGEROUS SITUATION. *TR

LOSS OF HEADLAMP LIGHT DUE TO FAULTY/INFERIOR WIRING/CONNECTORS GOING TO THE MAIN BULBS IN THE HEADLAMP ASSEMBLY. THE HEADLAMP HARNESS WAS GRAY IN COLOR FROM OVERHEATING AND THE CONNECTORS TO THE BULBS HAD MELTED. WIRING HARNESS WAS REPLACED UNDER WARRANTY WITH THE SAME PART # AS THE ORIGINAL WIRING HARNESS. THIS REPRESENTS A SAFETY HAZARD DAY OR NIGHT AS MOTORCYCLE HEADLAMPS ARE A SIGNIFICANT FACTOR IN DAYTIME VISIBILITY OF THE MOTORCYCLE, AND THE HAZARDS OF LOSING HEADLIGHT ILLUMINATION DURING NIGHTTIME RIDING ARE OBVIOUS AND MANY. *TR

I WAS TRAVELING AT A RATE OF SPEED OF 50MPH WITH MY WIFE AS A PASSENGER WHEN MY MOTORCYCLE JUST SHUT OFF NO WARNING NO NOTHING. AFTER SEVERAL TRIES TO RESTART THE BIKE AFTER GETTING IT TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD IT WOULD JUST CRANK AND NOT START.AS WE SAT ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD WAITING FOR HELP WHICH TOOK ABOUT 1.5 HRS FOR MY DAUGHTER TO ARRIVE WITH MY TRUCK WE FEEL THAT WE SAT IN DANGER AS WELL AS WITH THE BIKE JUST SHUTTING OFF IT COULD OF CAUSED SERIOUS INJURY/DEATH GOOD THING I WASN'T TRAVELING AT A HIGHER RATE OF SPEED ON A MAJOR HIGHWAY WITH A LOT OF TRAFFIC. UPON FURTHER RESEARCH ONLINE THROUGH FORUMS IT SEEM LIKE ITS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH THESE BIKES EACH CASE I READ WAS THE SAME THING THAT HAPPEN TO ME. I HAVE CONTACTED YAMAHA AND THEY SEEM TO HAVE NO ISSUE WITH WHAT HAS HAPPEN. THERE NEEDS TO BE A RECALL AS IT IS A GREAT SAFETY ISSUE. *TR

THE DIGITAL SPEEDOMETER ON THIS MOTORCYCLE IS UNREADABLE UNDER CERTAIN LIGHTING CONDITIONS. ANGLED SUNLIGHT (MORNING, EVENING WHEN LIGHT IS COMING FROM THE FRONT OF THE VEHICLE) CREATES A CONDITION WHERE THE SPEEDOMETER READOUT IS UNREADABLE. THE ONLY METHOD OF MEASURING SPEED IS BY SURROUNDING TRAFFIC. THIS CREATES A DANGEROUS SITUATION FOR MOTORCYCLE DRIVERS, ESPECIALLY ON EXPRESSWAYS AND URBAN ENVIRONMENTS WHERE THE SPEED LIMIT CHANGES BY LOCATION. *TR