NHTSA Complaint #10230208 — 2007 YAMAHA FJR13

WHILE RIDING THE 2007 YAMAHA FJR1300 THE MOTORCYCLE SHUT OFF ABRUPTLY. IT WAS AS IF THE KEY WAS TURNED OFF, ALL LIGHTS AND INSTRUMENTS WENT DARK. I WAS ABLE TO CLEAR TRAFFIC AND GET OFF THE ROAD WITHOUT BEING HIT, COULD HAVE BEEN UGLY. THE DEALER AT FIRST CLAIMED NO KNOWLEDGE OF SIMILAR FAILURES, WHEN PRESSED THEY ADMITTED THAT YAMAHA KNOWS THAT 2006 AND 2007 FJR IGNITION SWITCHES ARE FAILING WITH REGULARITY, YAMAHA PROVIDED A REPLACEMENT IGNITION SWITCH. TEARING THE OLD SWITCH APART REVEALED THAT PART OF THE PLASTIC WAS MELTED AND THE MAIN FEED OUT OF THE SWITCH HAD UNSOLDERED ITSELF FROM ITS POST. HAVING THE ENGINE SHUT OFF UNEXPECTEDLY ON A MOTORCYCLE IN TRAFFIC CAN BE DEADLY. YAMAHA ASKED IF I HAD ANY ACCESSORIES WIRED ONTO THE BIKE WHICH COULD HAVE CAUSED ADDITIONAL LOAD ON THE SWITCH. I DO NOT, THE ONLY LOAD ON THE IGNITION SWITCH IS WHAT IS DESIGNED IN BY YAMAHA. THE DEALER KEPT THE OLD SWITCH AFTER IT WAS TAKEN APART. I WAS NOT ALLOWED TO PHOTOGRAPH THE FAILED COMPONENTS. *TR