YAMAHA Complaints

ANTILOCK BRAKING SYSTEM (ABS) FAILURE BUT NO ABS ERROR LIGHT OR MALFUNCTION CODE DISPLAYED. *TR

PURCHASED MOTORCYCLE 5/2011 THREE MONTHS LATER IT STARTED TO MAKE A LOUD NOISE WHEN DECELERATING. ITS MAKES THIS NOISE WHEN MOTORCYCLE IS MOVING BUT ENGINE IS NOT UNDER LOAD. I TOOK THE BIKE TO TWO DIFFERENT DEALERS AND BOTH OF THEM SAID IT WAS THE MIDDLE GEAR SET. THE REPAIR COST WAS $2300. THIS IS CRAZY. THREE MONTHS RIDING FOR $2300. I JUST BOUGHT IT. AFTER SOME RESEARCH I FOUND OUT I'M NOT THE ONLY ONE.IT SEEMS THIS IS A PROBLEM WITH THESE BIKES BUT NOBODY IS DOING ANYTHING ABOUT IT. I CAN'T AFFORD TO FIX THIS. PLEASE HELP!!! *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 YAMAHA YW50 SCOOTER. WHILE THE CONTACT WAS TRAVELING 35 MPH A LOUD SQUEALING NOISE WAS HEARD WHEN THE FRONT DISC BRAKES WERE ENGAGED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER WHERE THE FRONT DISC PAD WAS REPLACED. THE FAILURE PERSISTED AFTER THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED AND THEY WERE UNABLE TO PROVIDE ASSISTANCE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 2,000. UPDATED 11/08/11*LJ UPDATED 11/14/11

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 YAMAHA ROAD STAR MOTORCYCLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE MOTORCYCLE STALLED WITHOUT WARNING WHEN DRIVING AT VARIOUS SPEEDS. THE MOTORCYCLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHO PERFORMED A DIAGNOSTIC BUT WAS UNABLE TO LOCATE A FAILURE CODE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED AND ADVISED THAT THEY WOULD CONTACT THE DEALER. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 48,000.

THE SIDE CASE LOCK FAILED, CAUSING THE SIDE CASE (SADDLEBAG) TO FALL OPEN WHILE RIDING. THIS CAUSED THE MOTORCYCLE TO SWERVE, NEARLY CAUSING A CRASH. I REPAIRED THE LOCK BY ADDING A LOCK WASHER AND LIQUID LOCKTITE TO THE SINGLE SCREW HOLDING THE LOCK IN PLACE. TWO WEEKS AGO, I EXPERIENCED THE SAME PROBLEM ON THE OPPOSITE SIDE CASE. LUCKILY, THIS TIME IT HAPPENED AT VERY SLOW SPEED IN MY DRIVEWAY. IF THIS HAPPENED AT HIGH SPEED, OR IN A TURN, IT COULD BE DEADLY. I CONTACTED YAMAHA AND WAS TOLD THAT THEY WOULD NOT REPLACE THE LOCK MECHANISM UNLESS THERE WAS A VEHICLE SAFETY RECALL ORDERED BY NHTSA. ACCORDING TO THEIR PARTS WEBSITE, THEY HAVE REPLACED THE ORIGINAL LOCK MECHANISMS WITH A DIFFERENT ONE ON NEWER MODELS AND NO LONGER SELL THIS PART. PART NUMBER IS 5P5-28406-01-00. THIS NEW PART IS A REPLACEMENT FOR THE ORIGINAL, DEFECTIVE PART- PART NUMBER 5JW-W9451-02-00. *TR

MIDDLE DRIVE SHAFT SNAPPED OFF WHERE THE NUT GOES ON. THIS IS VERY DANGEROUS AND HAS HAPPENED ON MANY OF THESE BIKES. THE BACK WHEEL CAN LOCK UP AND PUT THE MOTORCYCLE INTO A SKID CAUSING AN ACCIDENT THAT COULD EASILY RESULT IN DEATH. I WAS DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD AND NOTICED A LOUD NOISE COMING FROM THE ENGINE AREA OF THE MOTORCYCLE. THE DRIVE TRAIN WAS SKIPPING AND LOCKING UP. UPON INSPECTION I SEEN THAT THE DRIVE SHAFT HAD SNAPPED OFF. I PLAN ON CONTACTING YAMAHA TO SEE WHAT THEY PLAN TO DO ABOUT THIS. THIS WAS POOR DESIGN BECAUSE THE HAVE MADE A STRONGER DRIVE SHAFT TO REPLACE IT. *TT

ENGINE SURGES ABOVE 3000 FEET ALTITUDE CAUSING UNCONTROLLED LIFTING OF FRONT WHEEL IN FIRST AND SECOND GEAR. *TR

2009 YAMAHA ZUMA 125 SCOOTER ENGINE WILL NOT START IN TEMPERATURE OVER 100 DEGREES FAHRENHEIT. TURN IGNITION ON AND FUEL PUMP/FAN DOES NOT COME ON AS USUAL, ENGINE TURNS OVER WILL NOT START (NO FUEL). BRING SCOOTER INSIDE HOME (80 DEGREES) TO COOL DOWN, TURN ON IGNITION AND FUEL PUMP RESUMES OPERATION. INTERMITTENT PROBLEM THAT LEAVES VEHICLE COMPLETELY DISABLED. SPOKE TO YAMAHA DEALER AND THEY ACKNOWLEDGED THAT IT HAS BEEN A PROBLEM WITH THE ZUMA 125 SCOOTERS AND COST APPROXIMATELY $400 TO REPLACE FUEL PUMP ON A $2,800 SCOOTER. *TR

THIS REPORT IS IN REGARD TO THE SECOND EVENT REGARDING FUEL GEYSERING OUT OF THE FUEL TANK. DURING A REFUELING STOP IN GUNNISON, COLORADO, I OPENED THE FUEL CAP. THERE WAS A WHOOSHING SOUND AND FUEL LITERALLY SPEWED INTO THE AIR ABOUT 3 FEET, COVERING ME AND MOST OF THE MOTORCYCLE IN GASOLINE. PRIOR TO OPENING THE TANK CAP, I ESTIMATED ABOUT 1/4 TANK REMAINING. IT APPEARED THE FUEL TANK WAS STILL UNDER PRESSURE WHEN I OPENED THE TANK CAP. LOOKING AT THE FUEL REMAINING IN THE TANK, I COULD SEE THE FUEL BUBBLING, NOT FROM HEAT BUT BECAUSE THE AIR WAS COMING OUT OF SUSPENSION DUE TO THE RAPID REDUCTION IN PRESSURE. FORTUNATELY, THERE WAS NO SPARK NEARBY BECAUSE THE CONSEQUENCES WOULD HAVE BEEN CATASTROPHIC FOR BOTH MYSELF AND THE GAS STATION. A YEAR BEFORE, THE SAME THING HAD HAPPENED. AT THAT TIME, I ATTRIBUTED IT TO EITHER AN ANOMALY OR SOMETHING THAT I HAD DONE WRONG. AFTER THE SECOND EVENT IN COLORADO, I TOOK THE BIKE TO A MOTORCYCLE SHOP TO GET REPAIRED. AT THE SHOP, THE MECHANIC INDICATED THAT YAMAHA REPRESENTATIVES HAD NEVER HEARD OF THIS PROBLEM BEFORE, EVEN THOUGH A FIVE MINUTE SEARCH ON THE YAMAHA FJR1300 INTERNET FORUMS INDICATED THAT THIS WAS NOT AN ISOLATED EVENT. TROUBLESHOOTING DETERMINED THAT THE VENT ON THE FUEL CAP ASSEMBLY WAS VENTING MUCH TOO SLOWLY AND REQUIRED REPLACEMENT OF THE ENTIRE FUEL CAP ASSEMBLY. I WOULD RESPECTFULLY RECOMMEND THAT THIS INFORMATION BE PROVIDED TO ALL FJR1300 OWNERS BECAUSE OF THE POTENTIAL FOR SERIOUS PERSONAL INJURY. I HAD WRITTEN YAMAHA HEADQUARTERS IN CALIFORNIA REGARDING THIS ISSUE A FEW WEEKS AGO BUT HAVE RECEIVED NO RESPONSE. A COPY OF THIS LETTER IS AVAILABLE UPON REQUEST. *TR

AFTER A SHORT RIDE THE SCOOTER WILL NOT START AGAIN, DID NOTICE THAT FUEL PUMP WILL NOT WORK WHEN TURNED ON. THERE IS ONLY 340 MILES ON THIS VEHICLE. LEFT STRANDED ON A HOT DAY. *TR