YAMAHA Complaints

I WAS AT THE BEGINNING OF MY TRIP TRAVELING AT APPROXIMATELY 20MPH WHEN MY FINAL GEAR DRIVE STARTED MAKING NOISE. IT WAS CLINKING AND THE BIKE BEGAN TO LURCH AND SLIP' LIKE THE TRANSMISSION WAS GOING OUT. FORTUNATELY I WAS NOT FAR FROM MY HOME, AS I HAD TO PUSH MY BIKE ALL THE WAY BACK. I HAVE HAD MY BIKE TOWED TO A SHOP WHERE THEY ADVISED ME THAT THE PINION GEAR IN THE FINAL GEAR DRIVE WAS STRIPPED, APPARENTLY THIS IS A KNOWN ISSUE WITH THE 650 YAMAHA V-STARS. FORTUNATELY I HAD NOT YET MADE IT TO THE HIGHWAY YET AS THIS DEFAULT COULD HAVE CAUSED CATASTROPHIC FAILURE RESULTING IN A CRASH AND PHYSICAL INJURY. THIS IS A MASSIVE SAFETY ISSUE THAT MUST BE ADDRESSED BY YAMAHA BEFORE IT RESULTS IN A LOSS OF LIFE. *TR

I SPENT OVER THREE YEARS RESTORING AND REBUILDING A 1974 YAMAHA TX650A. I PURCHASED A FUEL TANK AND A SEAT FROM A SUPPLIER. FROM THE SUPPLIERS WEBSITE THE TANK AND SEAT ARE MADE TO BE USED WITH MY MODEL AND YEAR OF MOTORCYCLE. HOWEVER, AFTER RIDING MY MOTORCYCLE FOR APPROXIMATELY 2400 MILES AND WHILE RIDING IT I NOTICED GAS DRIBBLING FROM THE UNDERSIDE OF THE FUEL TANK AND LANDING ON THE TOP SIDE OF THE CARBURETOR AND ENGINE CRANKCASE. I GOT THE MOTORCYCLE BACK TO MY HOME AND DISCOVERED THAT THERE IS NOT AN ADEQUETE AMOUNT OF CLEARANCE BETWEEN THE SEAT AND THE FUEL TANK AND THE METAL PAN OF THE SEAT HAD PROTRUDED THROUGH THE VINYL COVERING OF THE SEAT AND WAS CONTACTING THE METAL OF THE TANK. APARENTLY WITH ENGINE VIBRATION THE METAL OF THE SEAT PAN HAD CAUSED A HOLE IN THE FUEL TANK. THE FUEL TANK WAS PROPERLY PLACED ON THE MOTORCYCLE FRAME USING NEW RUBBER CUSIONS AND THE SEAT WAS ALSO PROPERLY INSTALLED. I HAVE CONTACTED THE SUPPLIER IN REGARD TO WHAT I FEEL ARE REPLACEMENT PARTS NOT BEING MADE TO ORIGINAL OEM SPECIFICATIONS BUT THEY ARE CLAIMING I DID NOT PROPERLY INSTALL THE ITEMS BUT THERE IS ONLY ONE WAY IN WHICH THE SEAT AND TANK CAN BE INSTALLED AND THERE IS NO WAY TO MAKE ADJUSTMENTS. WHEN I PLACED MY ORIGINAL SEAT PAN ON THE MOTORCYCLE I COULD SEE THE ORIGINAL OEM PAN PROVIDES THE NECESSARY AMOUNT OF CLEARANCE BETWEEN PAN AND FUEL TANK. MY ESTIMATE OF DAMAGE TO REPLACE THE SEAT AND TANK AND TO HAVE THE TANK PAINTED IS BETWEEN 700 TO 900 DOLLARS. *TR

LIKE MANY OWNERS OF THE YAMAHA 650 SERIES, I AM EXPERIENCING ISSUES WITH THE FINAL DRIVE. MINE IS LEEKING FLUID THAT HAD METALLIC CHIPS IN IT WITH ONLY 30,000 MILES. IT IS BEING DIAGNOSED TOMORROW, BUT I ALREADY KNOW THE ISSUE AND WILL BE ATTEMPTING TO FIX IT MYSELF. SICNE THERE ARE COUNTLESS ISSUES, WHY IS THERE NO RECALL ON TH IS MODEL?!?!

WHILE REASSEMBLING MY MOTORCYCLE (DUE TO AN UNRELATED REPAIR), THE FUEL TANK BEGAN TO LEAK DUE TO A HOLE WORN INTO THE TANK FROM A HEX BOLT THAT HOLDS ON A PLASTIC REAR SKIRT. IT APPEARS THAT SEVERAL YEARS OF ABRASION, DUE TO THE HEX BOLT MOUNTING HOLE BEING TOO CLOSE TO THE TANK (POSSIBLY DUE TO A MANUFACTURING OR ASSEMBLY DEFECT) CAUSED THE TANK METAL TO BECOME COMPROMISED. WHEN I REASSEMBLED THE MOTORCYCLE THE HEX BOLT WAS ABLE TO PENETRATE THE WALL OF THE WEAKENED METAL, THUS CAUSING THE HOLE. MY MAIN CONCERN IS THAT THIS LEAK COULD HAVE OCCURRED WHILE RIDING, AND WOULD HAVE RESULTED IN A FIRE. THE DEALERSHIP IS WORKING WITH YAMAHA ON THIS MATTER, SO I HAVE YET TO SEE WHERE YAMAHA STAND ON THIS ISSUE. HOWEVER, I AM QUITE CONCERNED THAT OTHERS' THAT OWN THIS MOTORCYCLE MIGHT BE AT RISK. NOTE: MY MILEAGE FIGURE IS AN ESTIMATE. *TR

THIS IS A YAMAHA MOTORCYCLE. IT HAS A BLOWN FORK SEAL, WHICH IS A PRETTY COMMON OCCURRENCE. THIS IS IN THE FRONT SUSPENSION AND STEERING. THERE ARE 2 SPECIAL TOOLS NECESSARY TO REPAIR THIS, ACCORDING TO THE FACTORY SERVICE MANUAL. NEITHER OF THESE SPECIAL TOOLS ARE AVAILABLE FROM YAMAHA. THERE ARE NO SUBSTITUTES AVAILABLE EITHER, ACCORDING TO 3 SEPARATE DEALERS AND THE CORPORATE HQ IN CALIFORNIA. THIS IS QUITE A SAFETY RISK, AS I CANNOT PROPERLY REPAIR THE SUSPENSION, AND THIS WILL AFFECT THE STABILITY/CONTROLLABILITY OF THE BIKE. IT ALSO AFFECTS THE BRAKES, AS FLUID CAN LEAK ONTO THE ROTOR/PADS AND REDUCE THE EFFECTIVENESS. *TR

DEFECTIVE FUEL PUMP QUIT WITH LESS THAN YEAR OLD AND LESS THAN 200 MILES ORDERED NEW REPLACEMENT UPGRADED FUEL PUMP FROM YAMAHA PARTS DEALER AND INSTALLED ....NO MORE PROBLEMS.... *TR

BEING THAT THERE HAS BEEN ISSUES AND COMPLAINTS FILED WITH THE 2009 YAMAHA ZUMA 125CC FUEL PUMPS, THE PROBLEM IS THE FUEL PUMPS ARE DEFECTIVE AND CAUSES A HAZARD IN TRAFFIC ,STALLING OF THE SCOOTER WHILE DRIVING .THIS CREATES A PROBLEM AT HI SPEEDS AND ALSO HAPPENS WHEN YOU SHUT THE BIKE DOWN AFTER A RIDE. AFTER THIS HAPPENS THE FUEL PUMP WILL NOT PUMP FUEL TO RE START THE BIKE,WHICH LEAVE THE DRIVER STRANDED ,THE BIKE WILL RESTART ,AFTER THE BIKE HAS COOLED DOWN FOR 3 TO 4 HRS. AND SOMETIMES LONGER HEAT MIGHT BE CAUSING THE FAULTY PUMP TO FAIL WHEN DRIVING . BAD DESIGN . YAMAHA IS WELL AWARE OF THIS ISSUE ,BUT NO RECALLS . WHAT IS IT GOING TO TAKE TO GET A MANDATORY RECALL ON ALL 2009 125CC SCOOTERS, I WOULD HATE FOR SOMEONE TO RUN INTO ME BECAUSE OF MY BIKE STALLING IN TRAFFIC. IT IS A MATTER OF TIME BEFORE SOMEONE GETS HURT OR KILLED DUE TO THIS ISSUE. ON 12/21/12 I WAS DRIVING DOWN US41 AT 50MPH. WHEN IN THE MIDDLE OF TRAFFIC RUSH HOUR ,TRAFFIC ALL AROUND ME .AT THIS POINT MY BIKES FUEL PUMP CUTS OUT ,THEN THE SCOOTER SLOWED DOWN REAL QUICK,ALMOST LIKE PUTTING ON THE BRAKES . NOW BEING IN THE LEFT LANE I HAVE NOWHERE TO GO. I ALMOST GOT REAR ENDED BY THE CAR THAT WAS IN THE SAME LANE AS I WAS ,GOOD THING HE WAS PAYING ATTENTION . *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 YAMAHA ROAD STAR SILVERADO 1600 EQUIPPED WITH DUNLAP 404 TIRES, SIZE: 135/90/R16. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHEN DRIVING AT LOW SPEEDS AND COMPLETING A TURN IN EITHER DIRECTION, THE TIRES WOULD NOT GRIP THE ROADWAY AND CAUSE THE VEHICLE TO SLIDE ABNORMALLY. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INSPECTED BY A DEALER OR AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC. THE MANUFACTURER WAS LATER CONTACTED BY EMAIL AND REPLIED THAT THE FAILURE WAS DUE TO THE TIRE PRESSURE BEING TOO LOW. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE OF THE TIRES WAS APPROXIMATELY 3,000 AND APPROXIMATELY 47,000 FOR THE VEHICLE. UPDATED 12/21/12*LJ THE CONSUMER STATED THE TIRES ARE SOFT WHICH CAUSED THE VEHICLE TO SLIDE. THE TIRES WEAR OUT AT A VERY FAST RATE. THE TIRES ONLY LAST 10% AS LONG AS THEY USED TO. UPDATED 1/7/2013 *JS

ABS FAILED UNDER EMERGENCY BRAKING APPLICATION AND THE REAR WHEEL LOCKED UP, CAUSING A LOSS OF CONTROL. ROAD TESTING FOLLOWING THE INCIDENT CONFIRMED THAT THE ABS SYSTEM WAS NO LONGER FUNCTIONAL. *TR

FUEL FILTER ASSEMBLY 5PX-24560-00 HAD AN INCORRECT TOLERANCE FIT AND BEGAN LEAKING FUEL ON TO THE ENGINE. LUCKILY THE UNIT STAYED TOGETHER WHILE THE MOTORCYCLE WAS TRAVELING. UPON REPLACING PART IT SIMPLY FELL APART AND CAUSED ALL FUEL IN THE TANK TO DRAIN. FAILURE DURING TRAVEL WOULD LIKELY CAUSE A FIRE AND INJURY OR DEATH TO THE RIDER. *TR