YAMAHA Complaints

I HAVE A 2006 YAMAHA ROADLINER XV1900 ON WHICH THE ENGINE WILL DIE COMPLETELY WHEN COMING TO A STOP FREQUENTLY AFTER PULLING IN THE CLUTCH. THIS HAS BEEN HAPPENING SINCE I FIRST BOUGHT THE BIKE BACK IN NOVEMBER OF 2006. IN FACT IT HAPPENED THE FIRST DAY I DROVE IT HOME BUT I THOUGHT I WAS OUT OF GAS AND AFTER FILLING UP IT DID NOT OCCUR FOR SOME TIME AFTER. AS THE MILES ROLLED UP THIS PROBLEM WOULD OCCUR RANDOMLY WHEN COMING TO A STOP SUCH AS EXITING A FREEWAY OR PULLING UP TO A STOPLIGHT. ONE DAY I WAS ACTUALLY ABLE TO REPLICATE THE ACTION OVER AND OVER AGAIN OVER THE COURSE OF MY DAYS RIDE. I BELONG TO AN ONLINE COMMUNITY OF FELLOW STAR MOTORCYCLE OWNERS OF SPECIFICALLY THE YAMAHA STRATOLINER, ROADLINER AND RAIDER MODELS. THE BIKES USE IDENTICAL COMPONENTS AND WE HAVE NOTED THAT THERE ARE A SIGNIFICANT NUMBER OF US WHO HAVE EXPERIENCED THIS EXACT SAME PROBLEM. IN THE COURSE OF OUR DISCUSSIONS ABOUT IT WE HAVE NOTED THE FOLLOWING: #1 - IT ALWAYS HAPPENS WHEN COMING TO A STOP WHETHER DOWN SHIFTING OR NOT. #2 - IF THE CLUTCH SAFETY INTERLOCK SWITCH IS REMOVED FROM THE SYSTEM THE PROBLEM NO LONGER OCCURS. THIS WAS DISCOVERED BY MYSELF AND A COUPLE OTHER FELLOWS WHOSE SWITCHES HAD FAILED AND WERE NO LONGER FUNCTIONING PROPERLY. WITH A FAILED SWITCH THE BIKE WILL NO LONGER START UNLESS IT IS NEUTRAL AND THE KICKSTAND IS RAISED. SINCE THE SWITCH CONTROLS THE ELECTRONIC CONTROL MODULE THIS MEANS THAT THERE IS SOME KIND OF ISSUE WITH THE MAPPING THAT YAMAHA USES TO CONTROL THEIR ENGINES PROBABLY FOR CONTROL OF EMISSIONS. WHEN THIS HAPPENS MANY OF US HAVE BEEN STUCK AT INTERSECTIONS OR OTHER LOCATIONS WITH TRAFFIC COMING BEHIND US DESPERATELY TRYING TO RESTART OUR BIKES WITHOUT GETTING KILLED DOING SO. THIS PROBLEM HAS BEEN REPORTED TO MANY DEALERS AND WITH MANY CALLS TO YAMAHA CUSTOMER SERVICE. WE HAVE ALL GOTTEN THE SAME RESPONSE. "THERE IS NOTHING WRONG WITH THE BIKE OR THE SWITCH NEEDS CLEANED OR REPLACED. WELL MY SWITCH WAS JUST REPLACED AND IT'S DOING IT AGAIN. *TR

2007 FJR1300AE GROUNDING HARNESS FIRED AT CONNECTOR S4. A COMMON OCCURRENCE ON THESE MOTORCYCLES. ONCE THIS HAPPENS THE BIKE GOES DEAD AND IS UNRIDEABLE AS THE ENTIRE GROUNDING SYSTEM IS SHOT. VERY DANGEROUS TO HAVE HAPPEN AT SPEED. I HAD TO INSTALL AN AFTERMARKET GROUNDING HARNESS TO ALLEVIATE THE AMOUNT OF VOLTAGE RUNNING THROUGH THE ORIGINAL SYSTEM. I ALSO NEEDED TO CLEAN UP THE EXISTING GROUND SPIDERS AND REWIRE A FEW CONNECTIONS. *TR

MY MOTORCYCLE STOPPED RUNNING TWICE WHILE RIDING DOWN A LOCAL HIGHWAY. THE ENGINE BRIEFLY SHUT OFF FOR A FEW SECONDS BEFORE STARTING BACK UP AND RUNNING NORMALLY. WHEN IT DID SO A NUMBER OF LIGHTS CAME ON THE DASH WHILE THE ENGINE WAS OFF, INCLUDING HIGH-BEAM INDICATOR, EMERGENCY FLASHERS, AND THE SPEEDO AND TACH STOPPED WORKING. LATER THE SAME DAY I STOPPED TO FUEL UP AND THE BIKE WOULD NOT START, AND ALL THE SAME DASH LIGHTS WERE ON (EVEN THOUGH THE EMERGENCY FLASHERS WERE NOT FLASHING AND HIGH-BEAMS WERE NOT ON. THE MOTORCYCLE WAS TOWED HOME. I LATER REPAIRED IT. THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE WAS A MELTED GROUND CIRCUIT CONNECTOR, CAUSED BY AN OVERLOAD ON THE CIRCUIT. I REPAIRED IT BY RUNNING AN ADDITIONAL GROUND WIRE TO THE FRAME TO OFFLOAD PART OF THE CURRENT. *TR

I OWN A 2009 YAMAHA FJR 1300A WITH 10253 MILES WHILE ON A TRIP THE MOTORCYCLE KEPT CUTTING OFF SEVERAL TIMES MOSTLY WHEN YOU WOULD START OFF. MOST OFF THE TIME I COULD START IT RIGHT BACK UP BUT SEVERAL OTHER TIMES I HAD TO CYCLE THE IGNITION SWITCH TO GET IT GOING. BUT WHEN IT DID SHUT OFF ITS WAS WHEN PULLING OFF OR TURNING SO THE BIKE STOP RIGHT IN TRAFFIC PUTTING ME IN A DANGEROUS SPOT. I MADE IT HOME DISASSEMBLE THE BIKE AND FOUND S4 GROUND FRIED. YAMAHA NEEDS TO STEP UP AND FIX THIS!!!! I'M TRYING TO GET A HARNESS TO REPAIR BUT THAT IS MORE $$ THAN I HAVE RIGHT NOW SO MY BIKE SITS. *TR

2006 YAHAMA V-STAR 1100, WHILE DOWNSHIFTING YOU HEAR A WHINING NOISE ON THE MIDDLE SHAFT GEAR, THE SPEEDOMETER ALSO STOPPED WORKING, TOOK IT TO THE DEALERSHIP AND THEY SAID IT WAS A VERY COMMON PROBLEM ON THIS MODEL BIKE, THEY NEED TO TAKE THE ENTIRE ENGINE APART AND REPLACE THE BOLT THAT BROKE OFF THE MIDDLE SHAFT GEAR, THEY HAVE DONE ABOUT 6 OF THIS REPAIRS SINCE THE YEAR 2011 STARTED, THIS IS A VERY SERIOUS HAZARD FOR THE BACK WHEEL CAN LOCK UP, AND YOU ARE LIABLE TO HAVE AN ACCIDENT. MY WHEELS LOCKED UP GOING 35 MILES PER HOUR AND I WAS READ ENDED. THE REPAIR FOR THIS ISSUE IS ABOUT $2000 DOLLARS, AND THE PROBLEM IS ALSO POSTED ALL OVER THE INTERNET, PEOPLE ALL ACROSS THE NATION HAVE REPORTED IT, YOU MAY SIMPLY DO A SEARCH ONLINE FOR YAHAMA V-START MIDDLE DRIVE SHAFT FAILURE. YAHAMA NEEDS TO DO A RECALL ON THIS MECHANICAL PROBLEM. *TR

IN WARM WEATHER, FUEL PUMP FAILS AFTER GETTING HOT. TODAY, AFTER A 20 MINUTE RIDE AT INTERSTATE SPEEDS, I ARRIVED AT MY DESTINATION. THE AMBIENT TEMPERATURE WAS AROUND 75 DEGREES. AFTER 2 HOURS, READY TO RETURN, I TRIED TO START THE SCOOTER, NO JOY. AFTER REMOVING THE PLASTIC HELMET TRAY UNDER THE SEAT, I POURED CHILLED WATER ON THE FUEL PUMP ATOP THE GAS TANK, AND THEN THE SCOOTER STARTED RIGHT UP. HAD THIS PROBLEM LAST SUMMER BUT NEVER FIGURED OUT WHAT THE ISSUE WAS. ALWAYS JUST HAD TO LET IT SIT FOR SEVERAL HOURS BEFORE IT WOULD START AGAIN. I GOT THE IDEA TO POUR WATER ON IT AFTER READING SEVERAL POSTS FROM OTHER YAMAHA SCOOTER OWNERS WHO HAVE MENTIONED FUEL PUMP ISSUES. THE BIKE ONLY HAS 3400 MILES ON IT. IT DOES NOT SEEM THAT A COMPONENT LIKE THIS SHOULD BEGIN TO FAIL AFTER THAT FEW MILES. IT IS, OR COURSE, OUT OF MANUFACTURES WARRANTY DUE TO AGE. *TR

WHILE I CHOOSE TO WEAR A HELMET WHILE OPERATING MY MOTORCYCLE I DOD NOT WANT TO BE TOLD THAT I WILL WEAR ONE. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 YAMAHA V-STAR. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 30 MPH, THE VEHICLE BEGAN TO LOSE CONTROL AND SKIDDED TO A STOP. THE CONTACT EXAMINED THE VEHICLE AND NOTICED THAT THE REAR WHEEL HAD BECOME LOCKED AND WOULD NOT ROTATE. THE FAILED COMPONENT WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER WHERE THE CONTACT WAS TOLD THAT THE DRIVE SHAFT FAILED AND LOCKED INTO PLACE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 17,000.

I HAVE A 2005 YAMAHA 1100 VSTAR CLASSIC. AT ABOUT 23,000 MILES A NUT HOLDING THE MIDDLE GEAR IN THE TRANSMISSION BROKE OFF CAUSING CATASTROPHIC TRANSMISSION FAILURE. I HAD THE MOTORCYCLE TOWED TO A REPAIR SHOP AND WAS GIVEN AN ESTIMATE OF $2,000 + TO REPAIR IT. EVEN THO THE VEHICLE WAS OUT OF WARRANTY TO HAVE SOMETHING LIKE THAT HAPPEN WITH ONLY THAT MANY MILES ON A VEHICLE IS UNACCEPTABLE. I PERSONALLY CONTACTED YAMAHA CORP. BY LETTER AND BY PHONE AND WAS TOLD THERE WAS NOTHING THEY COULD DO TO HELP. I HAD THE DEALERSHIP WHERE I PURCHASED IT CONTACT YAMAHA AND AGAIN WAS TOLD SORRY. THIS IS NOT AN ISOLATED EVENT THERE HAVE BEEN MANY FAILURES OF THIS KIND AND MY LOCAL DEALER SAID THEY HAVE HAD HALF A DOZEN OR MORE BUT YAMAHA KNOWING ABOUT THE ISSUE FAILS TO INITIATE A RECALL OR HELP ANY OWNERS WITH THE PROBLEM. *TR

THE ENGINE QUIT, AND EVERYTHING WENT DEAD EXCEPT FOR THE INSTRUMENT PANEL, WHERE EVERY LIGHT CAME ON, AND THE FUEL LEVEL LCD STARTED FLASHING. TURNING THE IGNITION OFF AND TAKING THE KEY OUT DID NOTHING. EVERYTHING STAYED LIT UP. THEN A FEW MINUTES LATER, EVERYTHING TURNED OFF, AND I WAS ABLE TO RE-INSERT THE KEY, AND START HER RIGHT UP. THIS HAPPENED IN TRAFFIC DURING A NORMAL COMMUTE, ON TWO OCCASIONS WITHIN 24 HOURS. IT WAS EASILY REPRODUCIBLE BY INSERTING THE KEY TURNING THE BIKE ON, AND REPEATING A FEW TIMES UNTIL IT RE-OCCURRED. AT THE SHOP, THEY DISCOVERED THE MAIN WIRING HARNESS HAD BEEN IMPROPERLY GROUNDED, CAUSING A SHORT THAT RESULTED IN SYSTEM-WIDE DISABLING OF THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM. *TR