NHTSA Complaint #10201991 — 2003 YAMAHA MIDNIGHT STAR

I AM WRITING IN REGARD TO THE TRANSMISSION FAILURE THAT I EXPERIENCED ON SATURDAY, THE 25TH OF AUGUST, 2007 ON MY 2003 MIDNIGHT ROADSTAR. FIFTH GEAR WAS LOST WHILE I WAS LEADING A GROUP OF MOTORCYCLES ON THE INTERSTATE. AT THE TIME OF THE FAILURE, I HEARD A LOUD METALLIC CLICK, AND THOUGHT OF A BREAKAGE OF THE CIRCLIP. THIS FAILURE HAD THE POTENTIAL TO RESULT IN THE IMMEDIATE LOCKUP OF THE TRANSMISSION, AND RESULTANT LOCKUP OF THE REAR WHEEL. THIS EVENT COULD HAVE LED TO A CATASTROPHIC CRASH BECAUSE IT OCCURRED AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS WITH A GROUP OF MOTORCYCLES IMMEDIATELY BEHIND ME. IN FIFTH GEAR, NO POWER AT ALL IS PROVIDED TO THE DRIVE BELT. GEARS 1-4 AND NEUTRAL CONTINUED TO OPERATE NORMALLY DURING THIS PERIOD. A LOCAL YAMAHA DEALER (CYCLE SPORT OF ALEXANDRIA, VA) HAS WORKED ON THE TRANSMISSION ON TWO PREVIOUS OCCASIONS; ONCE TO REPLACE THE CLUTCH IN NOVEMBER 2003, AND ONCE TO ACCOMPLISH THE TRANSMISSION RECALL INVOLVING THE REPLACEMENT OF A CIRCLIP THAT, UPON FAILURE, COULD RESULT IN IMMEDIATE LOCKUP OF THE TRANSMISSION, LEADING TO POTENTIAL IMMEDIATE LOCKUP OF THE REAR WHEEL. I HAVE FOLLOWED THE DEALERS RECOMMENDATION REGARDING THE ENGINE OIL (WHICH IS SHARED BY THE TRANSMISSION) SINCE DELIVERY OF THE VEHICLE WHEN IT WAS NEW. MY BELIEF IS THAT IT IS REASONABLE TO EXPECT RELIABLE TRANSMISSION SERVICE BEYOND 28,000 MILES. MY CONCERNS INCLUDE THE POSSIBILITY THAT THE RECALL WAS NOT PERFORMED PROPERLY, OR AT ALL, OR THAT THE DEALER?S RECOMMENDATION FOR THE OIL USED IN THE BIKE MAY HAVE BEEN ERRONEOUS. I HAVE COMMUNICATED THIS INFORMATION TO YAMAHA CUSTOMER SERVICE AND HAVE NOT YET RECEIVED A RESPONSE. MY CONCERN IS THAT THIS FAILURE COULD ALSO HAPPEN TO OTHERS, WITH POTENTIALLY CATASTROPHIC RESULTS. *TR UPDATED 03/13/08. *LJ