NHTSA Complaint #10191452 — 2006 YAMAHA XV1700

PURCHASED MOTORCYCLE NEW IN SEPTEMBER 2006. IN DECEMBER 2006 I STARTED HAVING DRIVABLE PROBLEMS. AFTER DISCUSSING WITH OTHER OWNERS OF SIMILAR MOTORCYCLES THEY COMPLAINED ABOUT STICKY EXHAUST VALVES. THEY MADE SOME RECOMMENDATIONS, AND IT TEMPORARILY FIXED THE SYMPTOMS WHICH WERE EXTREME LOSS OF POWER AND POOR RUNNING. THE EXHAUST VALVES STUCK OPENLY AT ANY ENGINE SPEED. THIS OCCURRED DURING TURNS, STRAIGHT AND LEVEL RIDING, ACCELERATING, DECELERATING, ENTERING, EXITING FREEWAYS AND WHILE IN TRAFFIC. THE ENGINE SIZE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE 2004, NEWER, AND 1999-2003 MODELS WAS ONLY 70CC, BUT THE CARBURETOR JET SETTINGS WERE MUCH BIGGER. THE CARBURETOR JETTED MUCH, AND WAS MUCH RICHER ON THE 2004-2007 MODELS, WHICH LEAD TO EXCESS GAS BEING PULLED INTO THE COMBUSTION CHAMBER, NOT BEING COMPLETELY BURNT AND CARBON DEPOSITS BEING LEFT ON THE VALVE SEAMS OF THE REAR CYLINDER HEAD. THIS CONDITION ONLY HAPPENED ON THE REAR CYLINDER HEAD. MY PEERS AND MYSELF RETURNED TGE MOTORCYCLES TO THE DEALERS AND WE WERE TOLD TO RUN YAMAHAS, RING FREE THROUGH THE GAS. THIS TEMPORARILY TOOK CARE OF THE SYMPTOMS, BUT DID NOT FIX THE PROBLEM. MY PEERS HAVE GOTTEN TIRED OF THE RUN-AROUND. SOME HAVE FILED LAWSUITS AND WON, SOME HAVE REPAIRED THE ENGINE ON THEIR OWN AND HAVEN'T HAD ANY FURTHER PROBLEMS. REHTTP://FORUMS.DELPHIFORUMS.COM/N/MB/MESSAGE.ASP?WEBTAG=1602&MSG=143462.1. *AK