YAMAHA Complaints

I RODE TO LUNCH WITH SOME FRIENDS ON SATURDAY, MARCH 25, 2017. AFTER LUNCH, WE GOT BACK ON THE BIKES TO GO HOME. WE CAME TO A RED LIGHT, IT TURNED GREEN AND WE PULLED AWAY. I'M RIDING WITH CRUISERS AND WAS THE SECOND BIKE. PULLING AWAY WAS NOTHING DRAMATIC OR "SPIRITED". THE BIKE MADE A FUNNY BANG, LOST POWER, AND STARTED KNOCKING. GOT IT PULLED OVER TO A SAFE PLACE IN ABOUT 100 YARDS. IT WOULD RUN, BUT THE LACK OF POWER AND KNOCKING CONTINUED. I HAD IT TOWED TO THE SHOP AND WENT BY TO VISIT WITH THEM APRIL 4, 2017. THE MANAGER CAME OUT AND ASKED ME TO JOIN HIM IN THE SHOP. THEY HAD DISASSEMBLED THE ENGINE THAT MORNING AND HAD IT ON A BENCH. HE SHOWED ME THE INSIDE. IT LOOKED LIKE A GRENADE WENT OFF IN THERE. THERE WAS SHRAPNEL EVERYWHERE. THERE WAS A HOLE IN THE WALL SEPARATING THE TRANSMISSION FROM THE CRANK-CHAMBER, THE CRANK SHAFT WAS CHEWED UP, ONE CON-ROD WAS BROKEN, AND THE UNDERSIDE OF THE PISTON WAS CHEWED UP. THEY SUSPECT THAT ONE OF THE GEARS DISINTEGRATED, DROVE THROUGH THE SIDE OF THE CASE, AND BROKE THE CON-ROD BEFORE BOUNCING AROUND AND CHEWING UP EVERYTHING ELSE. YAMAHA HAS ASKED HIM FOR PHOTOS AND A PARTS LIST. HE SENT THEM PHOTOS. WHEN THEY SAW THE EXTEND OF THE DAMAGE, THEY SENT A CRATE MOTOR TO REPLACE THE WHOLE THING.

WHILE DRIVING MY MOTORCYCLE I SUDDENLY NOTICED A HIGH PITCHED WHINING NOISE DURING DECELERATION. I WAS CLOSE TO HOME AND THE NOISE BECAME LOUDER. AFTER FURTHER REVIEW, I HAVE DISCOVERED THAT THE MID DRIVE SHAFT FAILED AND THE NUT HOLDING THE U JOINT ON HAD BROKEN OFF. MY MOTORCYCLE HAS 27000 MILES ON IT. IT TURNS OUT THIS FAILURE IS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH THE VSTAR 1100 SHAFT DRIVES FOR MANY YEARS.

YAMAHA HAS ANNOUNCED RECALLS IN A NUMBER OF COUNTRIES (CANADA, GERMANY, UK TO NAME A FEW) FOR A DEFECTIVE 2ND GEAR FOR ALL 2016 THROUGH 2020 FJR MODELS. THE SAME DEFECTIVE PART IS USED IN THE PRODUCTION OF FJR MODELS ACROSS ALL MARKETS WORLDWIDE. THE REPORTED FAILURES RESULT IN TOTAL DESTRUCTION OF THE ENGINE AND IN SOME CASES HAVE CAUSED THE REAR WHEEL TO LOCKUP WHICH IS A CONSIDERABLE SAFETY CONCERN FOR A MOTORCYCLE RIDER. I AM FILING THIS REPORT TO MAKE SURE THIS ISSUE HAS BEEN BROUGHT TO THE ATTENTION OF THE NHTSA SO THAT A RECALL WILL ALSO BE ISSUED HERE IN THE US IN THE NEAR TERM. I AM AWARE OF OTHER OWNERS HERE IN THE US THAT HAVE EXPERIENCED THIS FAILURE AND HAVE REQUESTED THAT THEY ALSO FILE A VEHICLE SAFETY COMPLAINT. CANADA'S RECALL NUMBER IS 2020-571. THE LINK TO THE CANADIAN RECALL CAN BE FOUND HERE HTTPS://CANADAMOTOGUIDE.COM/2020/12/02/YAMAHA-RECALL-21/

I WAS IN THE PROCESS OF INSTALLING NEW CLUTCH PLATES WHEN I NOTICED THAT MY CLUTCH BASKET WAS CRACKED IN TWO PLACES. AFTER A QUICK GOOGLE SEARCH, I WAS DISAPPOINTED TO SEE THAT CRACKING CLUTCH BASKETS ARE A COMMON ISSUE WITH MY FIRST GENERATION FZ09. I HAD TO LEAVE MY MOTORCYCLE AT MY FRIENDS HOUSE BECAUSE OF THIS AND CANNOT PROVIDE PICTURES AT THE MOMENT. THERE IS NO TELLING WHEN THE BASKET CRACKED.

I PURCHASED THIS BIKE IN 2015 FROM AN INDIVIDUAL IN HAWAII. I WAS AND AM A HAWAII RESIDENT. I HAVE BEEN REGISTERING THE BIKE AND PASSING THE INSPECTION SINCE PURCHASED. IN 2020 AT THE END OF SEPTEMBER, WHEN MY SAFETY EXPIRED, I TOOK IT TO THE SAME PLACE I'VE TAKEN FOR 3 YEARS, AND HE SAID THAT IT DIDN'T PASS BECAUSE IT WAS MARKED AS AN OFF ROAD VEHICLE IN THE STATE OF HAWAII. FROM CALLING THE DMV, YAMAHA, THE EXPLANATION IS THAT WHEN THE BIKE WAS ENTERED INTO NHTSA, IT WAS ENTERED INCORRECTLY AS AN OFF ROAD BIKE, AND THAT ALTHOUGH ALL PAPERWORK HAS BEEN SUBMITTED, THE WEBSITE HAS NOT BEEN UPDATED, AND THE INSPECTION PEOPLE HERE IN KAILUA-KONA WILL NOT INSPECT IT (THIS YEAR) BECAUSE NOW THEY ARE GOING THROUGH THE WEBSITE. I REPEAT, FOR THE LAST 5 YEARS, THE BIKE HAS BEEN REGISTERED AND PASSED INSPECTION. NOW I HAVE A VEHICLE, WITH REGISTRATION UP TO DATE, THAT WON'T PASS BECAUSE, THE DMV BLAMES, YAMAHA, WHICH AGAIN BLAMES DMV. I AM THE ONLY LOSER HERE. YAMAHA HAS OFFERED MANUFACTURER CERTIFICATE OF ORIGIN STIPULATING IT CAN BE RIDDEN ON STREETS, BUT THESE WERE NOT RECEIVED BY THE INSPECTION DEPARTMENT PEOPLE IN KAILUA-KONA, HI BECAUSE THEY ABIDE BY WHAT YOUR WEBSITE SAYS.

DEATH WOBBLE- STEERING INSTABILITY AT 35-45 MPH. THIS COULD BE FIXED BY THE MANUFACTURER BY USING TAPERED STEERING BEARINGS

THE REAR BRAKE (FOOT PEDAL) CONTINUALLY LOSES PRESSURE, WHILE THE FRONT BRAKE REMAINS IN GOOD OPERATING ORDER / WITH GOOD PRESSURE. ONCE PRESSURE IS LOST, THE FOOT PEDAL FEELS MUSHY, RESULTING IN NO BRAKING POWER; PUMPING THE FOOT PEDAL REPEATEDLY MAY ENGAGE THE BRAKE, BUT ONLY SLIGHTLY. I'VE TAKEN THE MOTORCYCLE IN TO THE DEALERSHIP TWICE AND THE TECHNICIAN CANNOT FIND THE CAUSE OR SOURCE OF THE PRESSURE LOSS (ALL SEALS APPEAR IN GOOD WORKING ORDER AND THERE IS NO APPARENT LEAKS). IN ONE INSTANCE, THE TECHNICIAN NOTED THAT HE HAD TO FLUSH THE BRAKE SYSTEM SEVERAL TIME TO EVACUATE AN ACCUMULATION OF AIR. IN BOTH INSTANCES, FLUSHING THE BRAKE SYSTEM RESTORED FULL BRAKING CAPABILITIES. I HAVE RESEARCHED THIS PROBLEM ON THE INTERNET AND FOUND MANY BLOG ENTRIES DESCRIBING THE SAME PROBLEM, WITH NO DETERMINABLE CAUSE. DATES OF OCCURENCES: 04/23/2015 08-01-2020

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 YAMAHA XV16AT. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING 40 MPH, WHEN THE REAR WHEEL LOCKED UP. THE CONTACT STATED NO WARNING LIGHT WAS ILLUMINATED. THE CONTACT PARKED ON THE SIDE OF THE ROADWAY. THE CONTACT STATED HE HAD THE MOTORCYCLE TOWED ON HIS TRAILER TO HIS RESIDENCE. THE CONTACT CALLED LOCAL DEALER MOMS FOXBORO LOCATED AT 1000 WASHINGTON ST, FOXBOROUGH, MA 02035, (508) 543-1734 AND MADE THE DEALER AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE MOTORCYCLE HAD NOT BEEN DIAGNOSED NOR REPAIRED AS OF YET. THE VIN WAS ASSOCIATED WITH NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 03V309000 (POWER TRAIN). THE MANUFACTURER HAD NOT BEEN INFORMED OF FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 16,000.

STEERING HEAD BALL BEARING GETS SLOPPY WRITHING 1-4000 MILES CREATING A DEATH WOBBLE IN STEERING AROUND 40MPH.

I AM FILING A COMPLAINT REGARDING YAMAHA'S HANDLING OF THE RECALL ON THIS SCOOTER. DESPITE RECEIVING THE RECALL NOTICE IN REALLY JUNE, I WAS TOLD THAT THE PARTS NECESSARY TO REPAIR THE SCOOTER DEFECT WOULD NOT BE AVAILABLE FOR SEVERAL WEEKS. AFTER WAITING OVER TWO MONTHS, I CALLED THE LOCAL YAMAHA DEALERSHIP TO DETERMINE THE STATUS OF THE PARTS. I WAS TOLD THAT THE PARTS WERE IN, BUT THAT I WOULD HAVE TO BRING MY SCOOTER TO THE DEALER AND THAT IT WOULD HAVE TO HOLD IT FOR UP TO THREE WEEKS BEFORE COMPLETING THE RECALL REPAIR. THIS DELAY HAS CREATED A SIGNIFICANT IMPOSITION ON ME. YAMAHA HAS FAILED TO TIMELY ADDRESS DEFECT MADE THE BASIS OF THE RECALL.