NHTSA Complaint #10250221 — 2004 YAMAHA FJR13AS

RIDING AT APPROXIMATELY 30 MPH. ENGINE SIMPLY STOPPED AND ALL ELECTRICAL POWER TO BIKE WAS SHUT OFF. EVERYTHING WENT DEAD. COULDN'T RESTART BIKE. WOULDN'T CRANK OVER, NOTHING. PUSHED BIKE TO SAFE PLACE AND WIGGLED THE WIRES COMING OUT OF THE IGNITION SWITCH. HOLDING THE HARNESS COMING FROM THE SWITCH IN JUST THE RIGHT POSITION RESTORED ELECTRICAL CONNECTION AND THE BIKE RESTARTED BUT AS SOON AS I LET GO OF THE WIRES, IT DIED AGAIN. USING A PIECE OF ELECTRICAL TAPE I WAS ABLE TO HOLD WIRES IN POSITION AND WAS ABLE TO RETURN HOME ABOUT 20 MILES AWAY. THIS IS THE SECOND TIME THIS SWITCH, OR HAS FAILED. THE FIRST TIME IT HAPPENED AT ABOUT 70 MPH ON INTERSTATE 5. LUCKILY TRAFFIC WAS LIGHT AND I WAS ABLE TO GET TO A SAFE LOCATION AND AFFECT SIMILAR MAKE SHIFT REPAIRS. BIKE WAS STILL UNDER EXTENDED WARRANTY AT 45,000 MILES AND THE SWITCH WAS REPLACED BY YAMAHA. NOW AT 90,156 MILES IT'S HAPPENED AGAIN AND THE BIKE IS NOW OUT OF WARRANTY. THERE IS OBVIOUSLY A DEFECT HERE AS MANY OTHER FJR OWNERS HAVE REPORTED THE SAME FAILURE. I HAVE CURRENTLY BYPASSED THE SWITCH WITH A 30 AMP TOGGLE SWITCH AND THE DEFECTIVE SWITCH IS STILL ON THE BIKE AS IT ALSO SERVES AS A STEERING LOCK AND STILL IS AFFECTIVE IN THAT REGARD. *TR