YAMAHA Complaints

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 YAMAHA ROAD STAR MOTORCYCLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT AS HE STARTED THE VEHICLE, HE NOTICED FUEL LEAKING INTO THE ENGINE BLOCK. THE FAILURE RECURRED WHENEVER THE ENGINE WOULD BECOME HOT IN COMBINATION WITH HOT WEATHER TEMPERATURES. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER FOR DIAGNOSIS. THE TECHNICIAN WAS UNABLE TO PROVIDE A REMEDY FOR THE DEFECT. THE VEHICLE HAD NOT BEEN REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE PROBLEM. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 10.

WHILE RIDING DOWN THE SHORELINE AT LOW SPEEDS, MY WIFE AND I NOTICED A WHINING TYPE NOISE HAPPENING JUST WHILE THE BIKE WAS DECELERATING. I BROUGHT THE BIKE HOME AND A FRIEND OF MINE WHO USED TO WORK FOR A YAMAHA DEALERSHIP TOLD ME SINCE I HAD TO REPLACE THE BACK TIRE ANYWAY I SHOULD ALSO LUBRICATE THE SPLINE ON THE DRIVESHAFT. THE FIRST RIDE AFTER THAT WE STOPPED IN THE PARKING LOT RIGHT DOWN THE STREET WHEN WE HEARD IT AGAIN. THIS TIME THE BIKE WAS LOCKING UP JUST TRYING TO PUSH IT IN THE LOT. WHEN WE PULLED IT APART THE HEAD OF THE BOLT THAT HOLDS THE U-JOINT HAD SHEARED OFF. I WENT TO THE DEALER AND HE SAID IT HAS HAPPENED A FEW TIMES IN THE PAST. HE ALSO SAID TO CORRECT THE PROBLEM IT WOULD COST APPROXIMATELY $2,500.00 TO REPAIR. I WAS SAVING UP FOR THE REPAIR WHEN JUST RECENTLY I NOTICED ALL THE OTHER PEOPLE WITH SIMILAR PROBLEMS. I DON'T SEE HOW THIS IS NOT A MANUFACTURER'S DEFECT WITH THIS DESIGN. LUCKILY FOR MY WIFE AND MYSELF THIS HAPPENED IN A PARKING LOT. I HOPE A MESSAGE CAN GET OUT TO OTHER OWNERS OF THIS STYLE OF MOTORCYCLE BEFORE SOMEONE GETS SERIOUSLY INJURED. THANK YOU. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 YAMAHA XV19 MOTORCYCLE. THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING 30 MPH WHEN THE VEHICLE EXHIBITED A LOAD NOISE WHILE IN THIRD GEAR. THE CONTACT STATED THE VEHICLE DID NOT STALL OR HAVE A DEFECT BUT HE WAS CONCERNED THAT THERE COULD HAVE BEEN AN ISSUE WITH THE TRANSMISSION. THE CONTACT DID NOT TAKE THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER OR A LOCAL MECHANIC FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 28,000.

THIS WAS FIRST NOTICED ABOUT A YEAR AGO. I STOPPED GOT FUEL AND WHEN I WENT TO START BACK UP GAS CAME ROLLING OUT OF MY CARB . THEN IT DID NOT DO IT FOR ABOUT A MONTH AND I RIDE ALMOST DAILY. THEN IT STARTED HAPPENING MORE AND MORE FREQUENTLY. NOW THE PROBLEM HAPPENS ALMOST DAILY. IT IS A REAL SAFETY ISSUE IN MY OPINION TO HAVE A DESIGN THAT CAUSES YOUR FUEL SYSTEM TO GET SO HOT THAT IT POURS GASOLINE ALL OVER YOUR HOT MOTOR AND ALL OVER THE EXHAUST PIPES. YOU CAN ACTUALLY HEAR THE FUEL BOILING WHEN IT HITS THE EXHAUST. YAMAHA NEEDS TO DO A RECALL ON THIS BEFORE SOMEONE GETS KILLED. *TR

THIS HAS BEEN A PROBLEM SINCE MY MOTORCYCLE HAS BEEN NEW. WHEN I STOP MY MOTORCYCLE IN 2ND GEAR, IT WILL NOT SHIFT INTO 1ST GEAR UNLESS I ROCK IT A LITTLE AFTER STOPPED. IT WILL GO INTO NEUTRAL, BUT NOT INTO 1ST GEAR. THIS IS EXTREMELY DANGEROUS, ESPECIALLY IF ON A STEEP HILL. I HAVE REPORTED IT TO THE YAMAHA DEALER WHO TOLD ME I NEEDED TO BREAK IN THE TRANSMISSION. AFTER 3700 MILES, IT IS STILL DOING THE SAME THING. I CANNOT NOT PUT THE MOTORCYCLE INTO 1ST GEAR WHEN STOPPED WITHOUT ROCKING IT. I CONTACTED YAMAHA TECHNICAL SUPPORT AND THEY TOLD ME THAT I NEED TO SHIFT INTO 1ST GEAR BEFORE I STOP. I TOLD THEM THAT THIS IS NOT ALWAYS SAFE OR POSSIBLE, ESPECIALLY WHEN MAKING A SUDDEN STOP. THEIR RESPONSE IS THAT THIS IS THE WAY THE MOTORCYCLE IS DESIGNED. I INFORMED THEM THAT IF THAT IS SO, IT IS A SERIOUS DESIGN FLAW THAT CREATES AN UNSAFE SITUATION. THEIR RESPONSE IS THAT I HAVE TO SHIFT INTO 1ST GEAR BEFORE I STOP; THE PROBLEM IS OPERATOR ERROR IF I DO NOT. THEY ARE AWARE OF THIS SITUATION AND DO NOT SEE IT AS A PROBLEM. I HAVE SPOKEN WITH OTHER FJR OWNERS WHO DO NOT HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM. I HAVE RIDDEN MANY DIFFERENT MOTORCYCLES OVER THE PAST 45 YEARS AND HAVE NEVER EXPERIENCED THIS SITUATION BEFORE. BASED ON THE INFORMATION I RECEIVED FROM YAMAHA, IT IS A PROBLEM THE TECHNICAL DEPARTMENT IS AWARE OF THAT EXISTS IN SOME YAMAHA FJRS. IT SEEMS TO BE A TRANSMISSION DEFECT OR DESIGN FLAW THAT IS PRODUCING AN UNSAFE CONDITION THAT THEY DO NOT SEE AS THEIR RESPONSIBILITY TO REMEDY.. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 YAMAHA XVS950 MOTORCYCLE. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 75 MPH, THE CONTACT HEARD A GRINDING SOUND COMING FROM THE REAR OF THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING WHERE THE TECHNICIAN STATED TO THE CONTACT THAT THE RUBBER BELT IN THE ENGINE WAS TOO TIGHT AND CAUSING THE REAR WHEEL TO SEIZE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 3,200.

THIRD GEAR STARTED TO BECOME VERY NOISY, SOMETHING THAT OTHER STRATOLINER OWNERS HAVE NOTICED. THE PROBLEM IS WITH A GEAR THAT WAS NOT PROPERLY HEAT TREATED. WHEN I TOOK THE MOTORCYCLE TO THE DEALER BEFORE THE 5 YEAR WARRANTY EXPIRED I WAS TOLD THE MECHANIC COULD NOT HEAR THE NOISE. THE NOISE IS QUITE OBVIOUS. THE SERVICE MANAGER CALLED YAMAHA AND WAS TOLD THAT SINCE MODIFICATIONS WERE DONE (AN AFTERMARKET BELT AND PULLEY AND REAR TIRE) THAT WAS THE CAUSE. MIND YOU, THIS IS A MOTORCYCLE THAT IS RODE ON THE INTERSTATE HIGHWAY WITH QUITE A FEW TRIPS FROM OHIO TO FLORIDA. WELL OVER 90% OF THE RIDING IS IN 5TH GEAR. I SEE NO REASON FOR THE BELT/PULLEY CHANGE OR REAR TIRE TO AFFECT 3RD GEAR AND NONE OF THE OTHERS. YAMAHA NOW LISTS A DIFFERENT PART NUMBER FOR A REPLACEMENT 3RD GEAR WHICH I WAS TOLD COMES FROM A DIFFERENT VENDOR. I FEAR THAT A GEAR FAILURE WILL RESULT IN THE REAR WHEEL LOCKING UP, SOMETHING THAT COULD CAUSE A LOSS OF CONTROL.

ENGINE DOES NOT COMPLETELY ENGAGE WHEN CLUTCH LEVER IS COMPLETELY RELEASED. THE ENGINE PARTIALLY ENGAGES AFTER THE CLUTCH IS RELEASED, AND THEN FULLY ENGAGES A BIT LATER. THE END RESULT IS THAT AS THE OPERATOR IS GIVING THE VEHICLE MORE THROTTLE TO ACCELERATE, THE ENGINE FINALLY FULLY ENGAGES DUE TO THE FAULTY CLUTCH (FINALLY FULLY RELEASING) AND CAUSES THE FRONT WHEEL TO AT TIMES LEAVE THE PAVEMENT. THIS CAUSED THE OPERATOR TO NEARLY DUMP THE VEHICLE ON A BUSY STREET WHEN PROCEEDING FROM A RED LIGHT WHILE DRIVING IT HOME AFTER THE FIRST ATTEMPT BY THE DEALERSHIP TO REPAIR THE ISSUE. THE VEHICLE WAS PURCHASED BRAND NEW ON 12/03/2011, AND PICKED UP ON 12/07/2011. PROBLEM WORSENED AS THE BIKE WAS RIDDEN. AT 20 MILES, IT WAS RETURNED TO THE DEALER FOR REPAIR. IT HAS BEEN IN FOR REPAIR FOR THIS ISSUE A TOTAL OF 4 TIMES SINCE THE PURCHASE DATE FOR A TOTAL OF 17 DAYS IN THE SHOP IN THE 45 DAYS SINCE ITS PURCHASE. ON THE THIRD REPAIR, THE ENGINE ALSO WAS LEAKING OIL. THE VEHICLE ONLY HAS 50 MILES ON IT AS OF 01/14/2012. *TR

ENGINE INTERMITTENTLY CUTS-OUT. CUT-OUT LASTS FOR A SECOND OR LESS AND MAY REPEAT ITSELF SEVERAL TIMES BEFORE OPERATING PROPERLY AGAIN. MAY CUT-OUT SEVERAL TIMES IN 10 MILE DAILY COMMUTE. WHEN ENGINE IS CUTTING-OUT, IT IS A COMPLETE LOSS OF ENGINE POWER. VERY UNSAFE SITUATION WHEN TRAVELING ON FREEWAY IN TRAFFIC. IGNITION SWITCH AND WIRING HARNESS RECALL WORK HAS BEEN COMPLETED AND PROBLEM HAS NOT BEEN RESOLVED. *TR

TWO REAR WHEEL SPOKE NIPPLES FOUND TOTALLY LOOSE AND ABOUT TO FALL OFF. ONE SPOKE NIPPLE WAS SLIGHTLY LOOSE ON THE FRONT WHEEL. THIS MOTORCYCLE HAS MOSTLY STREET USE. *TR