NHTSA Complaint #10161641 — 2004 YAMAHA YZF-R1

ON FEBRUARY OF 2004 I PURCHASED A BRAND NEW 2004 YAMAHA YZF-R1 FROM AN AUTHORIZED YAMAHA DEALER IN COVINA, CA. RECENTLY, I WAS RIDING THE ABOVE-MENTIONED MOTORCYCLE ON A RURAL HIGHWAY WHEN SUDDENLY AND WITHOUT WARNING STALLED. THE BIKE LOST ALL POWER AND THE REAR TIRE LOCKED UP SENDING THE BIKE INTO A REAR WHEEL SKID, I WAS ABLE TO PULL THE CLUTCH IN AND RECOVER CONTROL OF THE BIKE. I PULLED ALONG SIDE OF THE ROAD AND TRIED TO REGAIN MY COMPOSURE AS I HAD ALMOST CRASHED. I DECIDED TO CHECKED THE BIKE OVER, I LOOKED FOR OBVIOUS LOSE WIRES OR CONNECTIONS AND FOUND NONE. I CHECKED THE GAS LEVEL AND I HAD OVER HALF A TANK OF FUEL REMAINING. I TRIED CALLING MY LOCAL DEALERSHIP BUT THERE WAS NO CELL PHONE SIGNAL IN THAT PARTICULAR AREA. HAVING NO OTHER RECOURSE, I RELUCTANTLY DECIDED TO RIDE THE MOTORCYCLE HOME. ON THE WAY HOME THE MOTORCYCLE STALLED TWO MORE TIMES IN LESS THAN A 15-MILE DISTANCE. THANKFULLY I WAS ABLE TO ADJUST MY RIDING TO COMPENSATE FOR THE STALLING. A FEW DAYS LATER I LOADED THE MOTORCYCLE IN THE BACK OF MY PICK-UP TRUCK AND TOOK IT TO A LOCAL YAMAHA DEALERSHIP. I DESCRIBED THE PROBLEM TO THE LEAD MECHANIC WHOM SEEMED PERPLEXED BY MY DESCRIPTION OF THE PROBLEM. I TOLD THE MECHANIC THAT I WAS A MEMBER OF AN ONLINE FORUM, WWW.R1-FORUM.COM, AND THAT I HAD READ OF OTHER YAMAHA R1 OWNERS WITH SIMILAR PROBLEMS. HE AGREED TO TAKE A LOOK AT THE PROBLEM. THE MECHANIC GAVE THE BIKE A CURSORY LOOK AND DETERMINED THAT THERE WAS NOTHING WRONG THAT HE COULD DETERMINE. I EXPLAINED TO THE MECHANIC THAT OTHER MEMBERS OF THE FORUM HAD CRASHED BECAUSE OF SIMILAR PROBLEMS AND THAT I WAS CONCERNED. I PLEADED WITH HIM TO CALL YAMAHA MOTOR CORP. TO SEE IF ANYONE ELSE HAD SIMILAR PROBLEMS OR IF THEY HAD ISSUED A SAFETY WARNING OR ANYTHING SIMILAR. I HAVE NOT HEARD ANYTHING BACK FROM THE DEALER AND I HAVE TRIED TO CONTACT THEM SEVERAL TIMES ABOUT THIS ISSUE.