NHTSA Complaint #10135344 — 2004 YAMAHA YZF-R1

DEAR NHTSA: I AM WRITING THIS COMPLAINT IN REGARDS TO THE CONTINUOUS ENGINE FAILURE OF A YAMAHA MOTORCYCLE. SEVERAL WEEKS AGO, THE ENGINE STARTED HESITATING DURING A REGULAR RIDE AND WHEN THE THROTTLE WAS RELEASED IT WOULD NOT IDLE BUT STOP; THE ENGINE QUITS RUNNING EVEN WHEN SHIFTING GEARS, WHICH COULD LEAD TO A SERIOUS INJURY EVEN DEATH IF HAPPENS ON A CURVE. I TOOK THE VEHICLE TO A MECHANIC AND AFTER SEVERAL WEEKS OF TROUBLE SHOOTING AND DIAGNOSIS I WAS TOLD THAT THEY DIDN'T FIND WHAT WAS WRONG! THEN I SEARCHED THE INTERNET AND BECOME AWARE THAT THIS WAS A COMMON PROBLEM, SOMEONE EVEN REPORTED AN INJURY, CAUSED BY A FAULTY THROTTLE POSITION SENSOR (TPS), AT LEAST THE END USERS HAVE SUGGESTED THAT WAS THE CULPRIT WHILE YAMAMA MOTORS IGNORED THE CONCERNS OF THE RIDERS. I AM SURPRISED THAT YAMAHA HAS NOT TAKEN THIS MATTER SERIOUSLY AND HAS NOT MADE A RECALL OR ISSUED A TECHNICAL BULLETIN. THIS IS MIND BATTLING TO ME SINCE IT CAN LEAD TO SERIOUS ACCIDENTS AND EVEN FATALITIES. NEVERTHELESS, I BELIEVE THAT THE NHTSA WILL TAKE THE MATTER SERIOUSLY IN AN EFFORT TO KEEP THE ROADS SAFER, AND FORCE THE MANUFACTURERS TO ACT PROMPTLY AND RESPONSIBLY. THE MORE OF THESE STORIES CAN BE READ ON THE VARIOUS FORUMS INCLUDING THE FOLLOWING SITE (HTTP://R1-FORUM.COM/FORUMS/SHOWTHREAD.PHP?S=&THREADID=98831&PERPAGE=20&PAGENUMBER=1) I WILL BE HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS OR HELP WITH THE MATTER IN ANY WAY I CAN. BEST REGARDS, PLEASE MAKE THE ROADS SAFER.. FATIH BUYUKSONMEZ. *JB