YAMAHA Complaints

WITH MY 2006 YAMAHA FZ1: WHILE NEGOTIATING A TURN AT ABOUT 40 MPH AND SLOWING DOWN, I APPLIED THROTTLE, THE ENGINE DID NOT RESPOND FOR ABOUT 1/2 SECOND AND THEN JERKED SIGNIFICANTLY. IT UPSET MY CONTROL AND I ALMOST CRASHED. THIS ONLY HAPPENS ABOVE 4500 RPM, BELOW THAT THROTTLE RESPONSE IS INSTANTANEOUS AND SMOOTH. *TR

WHILE RIDING MY MOTORCYCLE (2005 YAMAHA R6) THE IDLE WOULD OFTEN GO SO LOW AND STALL. THIS HAS HAPPENED SEVERAL TIME ON LOCAL STREETS AS WELL AS HIGHWAYS. THIS HAS CAUSED SEVERAL TRAFFIC JAMS AND POTENTIAL ACCIDENTS. I HAVE READ ALOT OF ONLINE BLOGS WHERE OTHER PEOPLE WERE ALSO HAVING THE SAME ISSUE. SOME SAY IT IS A FAULTY TPS. *TR

USUALLY IN SECOND GEAR AT 5500 RPM BIKE DELAYS OR STALLS VERY BAD FOR ABOUT THREE OR FOUR SECONDS. *TR

WHEN INITIALLY SHIFTING INTO FIRST GEAR A LOUD CLUNK IS HEARD IN THE TRANSMISSION AND THE BIKE WILL LURCH FORWARD AND TAKE OFF OR IF THE BRAKE IS APPLY THE ENGINE WILL STALL. THEN THE CLUTCH BREAKS LOOSE AND YOU CAN DRIVE AWAY. THE BIKE WILL UPSHIFT HARD AND SHIFT TIMING IS CRITICAL. THEN WHEN YOU APPROACH AN INTERSECTION AND NEED TO DOWN SHIFT YOU NEED TO USE THE BRAKES TO BREAK LOOSE THE CLUTCH. AFTER SEVERAL MILES IT WARMS UP AND BECOMES LESS STICKY. THE CLUTCH WILL DISENGAGE AFTER A FEW SECONDS AND THEN YOU CAN SHIFT. IF YOU DON'T USE THE CLUTCH FOR SEVERAL MILES IT GETS STICKY AGAIN. IF YOU LET IT SIT FOR 8 HOURS IT GETS LOCKED UP. THIS STARTED MILDLY AT 500 MILES AND HAS GOT PROGRESSIVELY WORSE. THIS CAN BE VERY DANGEROUS FOR AN INEXPERIENCED RIDER. *TR

THE TURN SIGNAL INDICATORS ARE THE SIZE OF PENCIL ERASERS AND ARE LOCATED OUT OF VIEW ON THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER. THEY ARE NOT VISIBLE WITH PERIPHERAL VISION DURING NORMAL DRIVING WITH THE EYES ON THE ROAD. IN ORDER TO SEE THEM THE DRIVER MUST TAKE HIS EYES OFF THE ROAD AND TILT HIS HEAD AND HELMET DOWN. THEY ARE NOT SELF CANCELING. THEY HAVE NO AUDIBLE OR TACTICAL INDICATORS AND THE VISUAL INDICATORS ARE INSUFFICIENT. CONSEQUENTLY AFTER MAKING A TURN THE DRIVER IS UNAWARE THAT THE TURN SIGNALS ARE STILL ON AND MAY DRIVE FOR MANY MILES THIS WAY. MY SELF AND OTHER DRIVERS OF THE 06-07 FJR1300 SERIES HAVE HAD NUMEROUS INCIDENTS AND CLOSE CALLS OF VEHICLE TRAFFIC ENTERING OUR PATH BECAUSE THEY THOUGHT WE WERE ABOUT TO MAKE A TURN. *TR

REAR RIM ON A YAMAHA 1999 R6 CRACKED IN 3 PLACES RESULTING IN A CRASH THE BIKE IS TOTALED AND I ENDED UP WITH ROAD RASH. *TR

HAD A SMALL OIL LEAK FROM THE TRANSFER CASE, INSPECTION SHOWED THAT IT WAS THE OUTPUT SHAFT LEAKING NEXT TO THE FRONT DRIVE PULLEY. UPON INSPECTION DISCOVERED THAT THE NUT SECURING THE DRIVE PULLEY ON THE SHAFT WAS LOOSE, THE LOCK TAB WAS STILL IN PLACE. DISCOVERED THAT THE SPLINES ON THE FRONT DRIVE PULLEY WERE WORN AND THE PULLEY NOW FIT VERY LOOSE. IT IS POSSIBLE FOR THE LOCK TAKE TO WEAR FROM VIBRATION TO A POINT WHERE THE NUT COMES OFF, IF THAT HAPPENED THE PULLEY AND DRIVE BELT COULD COME OFF AND LOCK THE REAR TIRE. IT IS ALSO POSSIBLE FOR THE PULLEY SPLINES TO WEAR TO A POINT WHERE THE PULLEY FAILS, AGAIN IF THE PULLEY FAILED THE REAR TIRE WOULD PROBABLY LOCK UP. THE ONLY WARNING WAS A SLIGHT LEAK NEAR THE SHAFT AND DRIVE PULLEY. I REPLACED THE SEAL, LOCK TAB AND PULLEY. *TR

DRIVING ATV ON TRAILS IN WOODS WHICH IS WHAT TV COMMERCIAL SHOWS NOTHING DIFFERENT THAN THAT. VEHICLE THEN ENTERED INTO APPROXIMATELY 6 INCHES OF MUD SO ENGAGED THE FEATURE CALLED DIFF LOC AT THAT POINT MY AXLE BROKE FRONT LEFT THEN FRONT RIGHT AFTER I FINALLY REMOVED MY ATV FROM THIS SECTION OF TRAIL AND INSPECTED DAMAGE I LEFT THE WOODS AND ON THE WAY TO MY VEHICLE BROKE A THIRD AXLE ON THE RIGHT REAR NOW IM AM TOLD THAT THERE IS A SUPERIOR AXLE BEING MADE BY GORILLA BUT I DON'T BELIEVE WITH THE AMOUNT OF CUSTOMER COMPLAINTS ON AXLES FOR YAMAHA GRIZZLY 660 ATV THAT THIS IS NOT A MANUFACTURER DEFECT FURTHERMORE I DO NOT SEE ANY ARTICLES ON THE OTHER TOP MANUFACTURES ABOUT THEIR AXLES HAVING THESE PROBLEMS WHICH ARE BEING DRIVEN IN SAME CONDITIONS AND CIRCUMSTANCES I WAS RIDING IN THAT DAY I WOULD LIKE A COMPANY RECALL OR I WILL NEVER PURCHASE ANOTHER PIECE OF EQUIPMENT OR EVEN A PART FROM YAMAHA. *TR

1) WHAT YEAR FJR? 2006 FJR1300AE WITH 16,500 MILES, PURCHASED NEW 3/2007 2) FAILED WHILE RUNNING? OR WHILE TURNING IGNITION? OR WHATEVER? TUESDAY NIGHT (11/06/07) AFTER PUMPING GAS I TURNED ON MY KEY AND WATCHED THE GAUGES FIRE UP FOR ABOUT HALF A SECOND, THEN EVERYTHING WENT DEAD. I FIDDLED WITH THE KEY A BIT AND GOT IT STARTED. I MESSED WITH THE IGNITION A BIT MORE AND COULD NOT DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM. WEDNESDAY MORNING I HAD THE SAME PROBLEM. ONCE I GOT IT STARTED, I COULD NOT DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM AGAIN. I CALLED YAMAHA WHEN I GOT TO WORK AND GAVE THEM THE FJRF003 INFO, AND TRIED TO GET ADVICE. YAMAHA SUGGESTED I TAKE IT TO A DEALER TO SEE IF THE PROBLEM COULD BE DUPLICATED. I AM THINKING THIS SUCKS SINCE I CANNOT MAKE IT HAPPEN ON COMMAND. WHEN I LEFT WORK WEDNESDAY I HAD THE SAME PROBLEM, BUT I LEARNED I COULD MAKE IT HAPPEN MORE OFTEN WITH THE HANDLEBARS IN DIFFERENT POSITIONS. ON MY RIDE HOME AT ABOUT 75MPH THE FJR POWERED DOWN AS THE IGNITION FAILED. 3) HOW MANY DAYS WAS THE BIKE AT THE DEALER FOR SERVICE? 13 DAYS. SIERRA YAMAHA IS LOCATED OUT IN THE MIDDLE OF THE DESERT AND HAD TO WAIT THREE DAYS FOR A LOCKSMITH TO RE-KEY THE IGNITION BEFORE. IF THE IGNITION WAS NOT RE-KEYED I WOULD HAVE HAD THE BIKE IN 10 DAYS. 4) PAID FOR BY YAMAHA OR NOT? YES, IT WAS COVERED UNDER WARRANTY. 5) BRIEFLY, HOW BADLY WERE YOU INCONVENIENCED BY THIS IGNITION FAILURE? THE COST TO ME FOR THE FAILURE IS ABOUT $130. THE COST IS RELATED TO FUEL TO DRIVE MY TRUCK INSTEAD OF MY FJR. THERE WAS SOME WORRY ON MY PART WHAT WOULD HAPPEN ON AN AE MODEL IF THE IGNITION FAILED WHILE IN MOTION. I AM PLEASE TO ANNOUNCE THE AE DOES NOT LOCK THE REAR WHEEL UNTIL THE BIKE STOPS MOVING. HOWEVER, IF I WAS NOT ABLE TO GET OFF THE ROAD I WOULD HAVE BEEN STUCK IN THE MIDDLE OF THE AT NIGHT WITH NO TAIL LIGHTS AND UNABLE TO MOVE THE MOTORCYCLE. IT APPEARS THIS MIGHT BECOME A LARGER ISSUE. SEE LINK FOR OTHER OWNERS WITH THE SAME. HTTP://WWW.FJRFORUM.COM/FORUM//INDEX.PHP?SHOWTOPIC=26098 *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 YAMAHA ROAD STAR. WHILE DRIVING 55 MPH, THE REAR TIRE STRUCK THE TOP OF THE REAR FENDER. THE DEALER STATED THAT THE REAR SHOCK MOUNT CAUSED THE FAILURE; AS OF NOVEMBER 19, 2007, THE DEALER HAD NOT REPAIRED THE VEHICLE. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 59,000. UPDATED 12/04/07