YAMAHA Complaints

WHILE DRIVING MY 2006 YAMAHA VSTAR 1100 SILVERADO MOTORCYCLE, THE NUT ATTACHED TO THE MIDSHAFT (DRIVETRAIN) BROKE OFF AND THE BROKEN NUT/SHAFT THREAD APPARENTLY TUMBLED AROUND WITHIN THE DRIVETRAIN AREA, CAUSING THE DRIVETRAIN TO TEMPORARILY LOCK UP / BIND WHILE RIDING 25 MPH. THIS ALSO CAUSED FAILURE TO THE SHAFT AND SPEEDOMETER SENSOR. THE MOTORCYCLE IS LESS THAN TWO YEARS OLD AND HAS APPROXIMATELY 10,000 MILES. THIS FAILURE COULD POSSIBLY CAUSE SERIOUS INJURY OR DEATH, ESPECIALLY WHILE IN A TURN OR AT HIGHWAY SPEED. *TR

MOTORCYCLE STARTED MAKING A HIGH PITCH SOUND ESPECIALLY NOTICEABLE DURING DECELERATION. IT WAS FOUND TO BE THE CENTER DRIVE SHAFT NUT HAD BROKE OR BACKED OFF LETTING THE SHAFT SPLINES SLIDE FREELY. *TR

MOTORCYCLE, YAMAHA V-STAR 1100 CLASSIC 2002 WITH 23,000 MILES ON IT OR LESS WHEN THE TRANSMISSION STARTED WHINING , CLICKING AND GRINDING NOISES WHEN YOU DE-ACCELERATED THE THROTTLE OF THE ENGINE .THIS FIRST HAPPENED AROUND THE 1ST WEEK OF AUGUST 2006. ON THE 23 AUGUST 2006 I REMOVED THE REAR WHEEL TO INSPECT OR TO SEE WHAT WAS CAUSING THE NOISES. WHEN THE DRIVESHAFT WAS REMOVED FROM THE YOKE OF THE TRANSMISSION A NUT AND THICK THRUSH WASHER WAS LYING INSIDE THE YOKE, BROKE OFF FROM THE MIDDLE DRIVEGEAR SHAFT. FURTHER INSPECTION OF THE NUT, REVEALED THAT 3/4"S OF THE THREADED END OF THE MIDDLE DRIVEGEAR SHAFT WAS STILL IN THE NUT THAT SHEARED OR BROKE OFF THE END OF THE MIDDLE DRIVEGEAR SHAFT THAT SECURES THE YOKE TO THE MIDDLE DRIVEGEAR SHAFT. ONLY 3 OR 4 THREADS WERE LEFT ON THE BROKEN END OF THE MIDDLE DRIVEGEAR SHAFT . WITHOUT THIS THRUSH WASHER AND NUT TO SECURE THE YOKE TO THE MIDDLE DRIVEGEAR SHAFT, THE MIDDLE DRIVE GEAR SHAFT COULD MOVE IN AND OUT OF THE TRANSMISSION 1 TO 13/4 INCHES OR MORE, AND THE ONLY THING THAT STOPPED IT FROM MOVING OUT MORE WAS THE MAIN DRIVESHAFT TO THE REAR END OF THE CYCLE.. IT WAS LUCKY FOR ME OR ANY ONE ELSE OUT THERE WITH THIS PROBLEM THAT THEY DIDN'T GET INJURED OR KILLED, BECAUSE IF THIS WASHER OR NUT HAD EVER LODGED INTO THE YOKE WHEN IT WAS TURNING, IT WOULD OF LOCKED THE REAR WHEEL UP AND CAUSING THE MOTORCYCLE TO SKID OUT OF CONTROL AND GO DOWN AND CRASH AND AT ANY SPEED SOMEONE IS GOING TO GET INJURED BAD!! NOW TO REPAIR THIS PROBLEM IS NOT A EASY PROCEDURE. IT REQUIRES WHOLE ENGINE/TRANNY REMOVAL, ENGINE DISASSEMBLE AND ENGINE CRANK CASE CRACKED OR SPLIT OPEN FOR ACCESSIBILITY TO THE TRANSMISSION PARTS. PARTS REPLACED WOULD HAVE TO BE DETERMINED,AFTER INSPECTION OF THE EFFECTIVE AREA OF THE MIDDLE DRIVE GEAR SHAFT AND THE MIDDLE DRIVEN SHAFT AND OTHER CONNECTING PARTS OF THESE TO MIDDLE SHAFTS...I , IN MY OPINION DON'T THINK THIS SHOULD OF HAPPEN AND SHOULD NOT BE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE COST REPAIRING IT. *TR

WHILE APPROACHING A TOLL BOOTH A LOUD NOISE SUDDENLY DEVELOPED, EMANATING FROM THE CENTRE GEARBOX AREA OF MY ENGINE/DRIVE TRAIN. INSPECTION DISCOVERED THAT THE MIDDLE DRIVE SHAFT TIP HAD SNAPPED AT THE UNIVERSAL JOINT RETAINING NUT. IT IS FURTHER DETERMINED FROM OTHER SUCH RECORDED FAILURES POSTED ON VARIOUS YAMAHA FORUMS THAT THIS FAILURE IS CAUSED BY MICRO PRESSURE FROM REAR DRIVE/UNI JOINT ONTO MIDDLE DRIVE SHAFT AND CAUSES STRESS FRACTURE/SEPARATION MID THREAD LEVEL WITH INSIDE OF RETAINING NUT. HI-RES PHOTOS ARE AVAILABLE OF THE SHAFT TIP STILL INSIDE THE NUT SHOWING THE CASTING FAILURE OF THE SHAFT. FAILURE OF THIS NUT RESULTS IN THE LOOSE NUT CONTAINING THE TIP OF THE SNAPPED SHAFT TO BOUNE AROUND INSIDE THE UNIVERSAL JOINT, CAUSING DAMAGE TO THE UNI JOINT, SPEED SENSOR AND SPEED ROTOR. POTENTIAL IS ALSO THERE FOR THE NUT TO JAM BETWEEN THE UNI JOINT PROTECTOR COVER AND THE UNI JOINT ITSELF RESULTING IN POSSIBLE SUDDEN FAILURE OF ALL COMPONENTS. AS MY VIN COULD NOT BE ENTERED IN THE NECESSARY SECTION I HAVE EDITED THIS SECTION AND PROVIDED THE DETAIL HERE. *TR

I HAD A NEW 2005 MAJESTY (YAMAHA) SCOOTER. IT WOULD ON OCCASION STALL. I HAD IT TWICE STALL WHILE MERGING ONTO THE FREEWAY. THIS ALMOST RESULTED IN A CRASH, BUT I WAS ABLE TO GET TO THE SHOULDER AND RESTART THE ENGINE. THE DEALER REPLACED THE ECU AND I HAVE NOT ANY PROBLEMS SINCE. *TR

RIDING UP HILL SEVERE LOSS OF POWER AND POWER SURGES. SEVERAL TIMES ALWAYS RIDING UPHILL I HAVE HAD SEVERE POWER LOSSES AND POWER SURGES. CAUSED ME TO MISS TURN AND SLOW DOWN TO A STOP. I SHUT DOWN BIKE AND RESTARTED. TURNED AROUND AND WENT DOWNHILL AND THE BIKE OPERATED FINE. HAVE NOT HAD ANY REPAIRS OR MODIFICATIONS TO BIKE. THIS OCCURRED ON THE FIRST RIDE ON THIS BIKE UPHILL AND SEVERAL TIMES AFTER. HAVE ONLY RIDDEN 600 MILES ON THIS BIKE. *TR

VEHICLE STALLS WHEN ATTEMPTING TO ACCELERATE NORMALLY (TYPICALLY STALLS IN INTERSECTION). NOT FREQUENT. VEHICLE RESTARTS NORMALLY. OCCURS WHEN ENGINE IS FULLY WARMED UP. *TR

TRANSMISSION FAILURE RESULTING IN VEHICLE NOT SAFE TO RIDE ON. MULTIPLES LISTINGS OF WEAK GEAR LINKAGE REPORTED VIA INTERNET WEBSITES. *TR

FAILURE OF THE MIDDLE GEAR SHAFT ON A 2006 YAMAHA VSTAR CLASSIC. IN MY RESEARCH I HAVE FOUND SEVERAL OTHERS HAVE HAD THE EXACT SAME FAILURE. *TR

MY 2006 YAMAHA STAR ROADLINER S STARTED MAKING A NOTICEABLE CLATTERING NOISE IN 3RD GEAR SHORTLY BEFORE I HAD 18,000 MILES ON THE ODOMETER. IT SOUNDS JUST LIKE MY 2001 YAMAHA ROAD STAR DID BEFORE A DEALER DISCOVERED THAT THERE WERE TEETH MISSING FROM ONE OF THE GEARS IN IT'S TRANSMISSION. I TOOK THE BIKE TO RIDE NOW SURPRISE (A YAMAHA DEALER) AND THEY TOLD ME THAT THE NOISE IS NORMAL. KEEP IN MIND THAT THE BIKE DID NOT MAKE THE NOISE FOR THE FIRST 17,000 MILES. I CALLED YAMAHA CUSTOMER RELATIONS AND THEY SAID THEY COULD NOT DO ANYTHING AND THAT I SHOULD GET A SECOND OPINION. I AN GOING TO PICK THE BIKE UP FROM RIDE NOW TOMORROW (2/22/08) AND BRING IT TO ANOTHER DEALER ASAP. I'M FILING THIS REPORT AS EVIDENCE IN THE EVENT OF A POSSIBLE (CATASTROPHIC) TRANSMISSION FAILURE EN ROUTE. *TR