YAMAHA Complaints

WHEN OPERATING THIS VEHICLE AT ALTITUDES ABOVE APPROXIMATELY 5,000 FEET THE THROTTLE BECOMES UNRESPONSIVE. ENGINE POWER BECOMES UNPREDICTABLE AS SLIGHT THROTTLE INPUTS GENERATE LESS POWER. WHEN THROTTLE INPUT IS FURTHER INCREASED, POWER IS DELIVERED ABRUPTLY LEADING TO A LOSS OF CONTROL. AS YET, I HAVE NOT EXPERIENCED A CRASH DUE TO THIS CONDITION BUT CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN COMPROMISED AND OPERATION HAS BEEN UNSAFE ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS. *TR

LOSS OF POWER AND ENGINE STUTTERING DURING NORMAL USE OPERATION. ENGINE STALLS AT IDLE. *TR

I HAVE A 2005 YAMAHA ROAD STAR. SINCE THE PURCHASE OF THIS BIKE I HAVE HAD PROBLEMS WITH STICKING VALVES ON THE REAR CYLINDER. IT'S THE EXHAUST VALVE. WHEN THIS HAPPENED IT WAS A DANGEROUS RIDE. HEAVY TRAFFIC WITH NO WHERE TO GO. SEEMS YAMAHA IS AWARE OF THIS SITUATION. IT'S DANGEROUS TO RIDE. POWER GOES TO NOTHING AND THE BIKE STALLS DURING SHIFTING. *JB

THE MOTORCYCLE AT APPRX 5500 RPMS (45-50MPH) IN SECOND GEAR HAS AN EXTREME LAG ISSUE. YOU CAN TURN THE THROTTLE BUT THE BIKE WILL NOT RESPOND. THIS IS A SERIOUS ISSUE DUE TO TAKING AWAY CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE MAKING IT IMPOSSIBLE TO MANEUVER THROUGH TRAFFIC OR MATCHING SPEEDS OF TRAFFIC. THIS PROBLEM ALMOST CAUSED ME TO LOSE CONTROL AS WELL IN A CORNER WHEN BECOMING UNRESPONSIVE TO THE THROTTLE. *TR

VISITING DAYTONA BIKE WEEK 2007. ENGINE SHUT DOWN WHILE TRAVELING AT HIGHWAY SPEED ON FREEWAY. AFTER MOTORISTS GRACIOUSLY ALLOWED ME THROUGH TRAFFIC TO THE SHOULDER HAD ERROR CODE 12 AND MOTORCYCLE WOULD NOT START. TRAILERED TO YAMAHA DEALER AND THEY SAID CRANKCASE POSITION SENSOR (CPS) HAD BECOME SEPARATED FROM ITS CONNECTING WIRE INSIDE THE ENGINE. LOCAL DEALER FIXED NEXT DAY AT COST OF SEVERAL HUNDRED DOLLARS. DID NOT HAVE PART SO SOLDERED CONNECTION. CONCERNS: A) PART SHOULD BE REPLACED NOT REPAIRED; B) THIS IS OCCURRING ON MANY OTHER CYCLES AND IS A DANGEROUS EVENT WHEN IN TRAFFIC OR AT HIGH SPEEDS. *TR

GAS TANK ON A 2005 YAMAHA FJR1300A ERUPTED IN A GEYSER OF GASOLINE. WHAT HAPPENED?: ON MONDAY 7-16-07 I STOPPED FOR FUEL. IT WAS ABOUT 95 DEGREES, AND THE BIKE WAS HOT. IT WAS NOT OUTSIDE OF NORMAL OPERATING TEMP. - I HAD TWO BARS ON THE TEMP GAUGE. I OPENED THE FUEL CAP/DOOR AND LIQUID GASOLINE SPRAYED UP IN THE AIR ABOUT 5 FEET, IT LOOKED LIKE OLD FAITHFUL. LIQUID GAS RAINED DOWN ON THE FJR AND SOAKED THE TANK, FAIRING AND SEAT, AND IT CRACKED BOTH MY HEADLAMP LENSES INSTANTLY. THE EVENT VOIDED THE TANK OF MOST OF THE GAS - IT WAS INSTANTLY EMPTY. IT DID NOT CATCH FIRE. AFTER REGAINING SOME COMPOSURE, I WASHED THE BIKE OFF WITH WATER, MOVED IT AWAY FROM THE GAS PUDDLE BEFORE STARTING IT, AND DROVE HOME (2 BLOCKS AWAY). WHY DID IT HAPPEN?: I LIVE AT APPROX. 5,000 FEET. I HAD BEEN RIDING AT 10,000 FEET ALL MORNING. I CAME DOWN FROM THAT ALTITUDE IN ABOUT 1 HOUR. ALTITUDE LOWERS THE BOILING POINT OF LIQUIDS. I HAD PURCHASED THE MORNING'S TANK OF GAS AT SAFEWAY (WHICH I HAD NEVER DONE BEFORE), IT HAS A HIGHER PERCENTAGE OF OXYGENATES (MTBE, METHANOL) THAN OTHER BRANDS. THE TANK WAS SUPER-HEATED SINCE IT WAS CLOSE TO EMPTY (AT '3-BARS' ON THE DISPLAY), AND IT WAS OBVIOUSLY SUPER-PRESSURIZED BY THE HEAT. WHEN I RELEASED THE GAS CAP, THE INSTANT LOWERING OF THE PRESSURE INSIDE LOWERED THE BOILING POINT, AND THE GASOLINE EXPANDED RAPIDLY (IT 'BOILED') AND EJECTED FROM THE TANK. SINCE GAS EVAPORATES QUICKLY, WHEN IT TOUCHED THE HOT HEADLIGHT LENSES IT'S EVAPORATIVE COOLING REMOVED HEAT TOO QUICKLY , CAUSING THE SPIDER CRACKING ACROSS THE LENSES. IT ALL HAPPENED IN ABOUT 5 SECONDS. THIS SERIES OF EVENTS IS A NEW OCCURRENCE FOR ALL OF US BECAUSE OUR GASOLINE QUALITY IS CHANGING, IT'S GETTING WORSE TO MAKE A PROFIT AND APPEASE THE 'GREEN' CONTINGENT. THE 'HOT' FJR SYNDROME IS NOW A CONCERN BEYOND JUST BODY COMFORT! WORST CASE I COULD HAVE BEEN BURNED ALIVE IF THE GAS HAD IGNITED. I KNOW OF NO WAY TO CORRECT THIS UNTIL I TALK TO A SERVICE REP.

1. WHILE RIDING MY NEW 2007 YAMAHA FJR1300 MOTORCYCLE THROUGH MOUNTAINOUS AREAS AND GAINING ALTITUDE FROM 1000-3000 FEET, THE THROTTLE CONTROL BEGINS SURGING AND ON/OFF THROTTLE ADJUSTMENTS BECOME VERY ABRUPT. 2. THE CONSEQUENCES OF THIS THROTTLE CONTROL PROBLEM ARE THAT THE MOTORCYCLE BECOMES VERY DIFFICULT TO CONTROL AND UNSAFE TO RIDE. 3. TURNING THE MOTORCYCLE OFF AND BACK ON WILL TEMPORARILY CORRECT THE PROBLEM UNTIL GAINING MORE ALTITUDE, THEN THE PROBLEM RETURNS. NO REPAIRS HAVE YET BEEN PERFORMED, THE SEVERAL YAMAHA DEALER SERVICE DEPARTMENTS I CONTACTED WERE NOT FAMILIAR WITH THE PROBLEM.

CURRENT METZLER Z6 TIRES THAT CAME STOCK ON A 2006 YAMAHA FJR 1300A SHOWED RUBBER CRACKING ALL AROUND THE EDGE OF BOTH SIDEWALLS. THIS WAS A ONE YEAR OLD TIRE WITH 5000 MILES ON IT AND HAS BEEN STORED INSIDE. BEING A FRONT TIRE, IF IT WAS TO FAIL, TREAD SEPARATION, THE CONSEQUENCES COULD BE DEADLY. METZLER DID NOT PROVIDE SATISFACTORY HELP OVER THE TELEPHONE. I WILL HAVE TO REPLACE THIS TIRE ON MY OWN TERMS. THIS WA S A DANGEROUS PRODUCT AND IT WAS NOT BEING DEALT WITH. *AK

2007 YAMAHA MOTORCYCLE. MOTORCYCLE SURGES WITH THROTTLE RESPONSE WHEN CHANGING ALTITUDE. THE OFF & ON THROTTLE RESPONSE IS SEVERE TO THE POINT OF DISTRIBUTING THE SUSPENSION WHILE IN A CURVE. WITH ALTITUDE CHANGE APPLYING THE THROTTLE RESULTS IN NO SPEED INCREASE FOR A PERIOD , AND THEN EXTREME THROTTLE RESPONSE. THE MOTORCYCLE IS VERY DIFFICULT TO DRIVE SAFELY WITH THIS CONDITION IN THE MOUNTAINS. THE DEALER ADJUSTED THE LEVEL FOR THE FUEL INJECTION SYSTEM ON TWO OCCASIONS WITH VERY LITTLE IMPROVEMENT. I HAVE CONTACTED YAMAHA CUSTOMER RELATIONS ON TWO OCCASIONS WITHOUT ANY RESPONSE OR SUGGESTIONS FOR IMPROVEMENT. THE MOTORCYCLE WAS PURCHASED NEW ON 3/17/07 FROM PERFORMANCE YAMAHA, SENECA, SC, 864-888-8123. PLEASE HELP BEFORE SOMEONE LOSES THEIR LIFE WITH THIS PROBLEM.*AK

ALTITUDE ABOVE 1500 FEET, BIKE SURGES AND FEELS AS THOUGH IT WOULD STALL. TOOK TO DEALERSHIP WHO ADJUST THROTTLE. NEXT RIDE BETWEEN 1500 AND 7000 FEET BIKE CONTINUED TO SURGED AND LOSS POWER GOING AROUND AN INCLINE CURVE. HAD TO PULL OVER AND SHUT DOWN THE ENGINE. SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUE. *TR