NHTSA Complaint #10279848 — 2003 YAMAHA ROAD STAR SILVERADO

RIDING A 2003 YAMAHA ROADSTAR, RIDER AND A PASSENGER, ON 57N (SO. CALIFORNIA), CRUISING AT 70 MPH IN FIFTH GEAR, BEGAN LOSING SPEED AND BIKE STARTED TO REV AS IF IN NEUTRAL. DOWNSHIFTED TO 4TH, NORMAL, UP-SHIFT TO 5TH, NO POWER, BIKE ACTING AS IF IN NEUTRAL. PULLED OFF FREEWAY. EXAMINED FOR ANYTHING OBVIOUSLY BROKEN BUT FOUND NOTHING WRONG. DROVE MOTORCYCLE TO REPAIR SHOP WHEN IT HAS BEEN EVER SINCE. REPAIR SHOP HAS DISMANTLED TRANSMISSION FROM ENGINE. PINION GEAR THAT HOLDS 5TH GEAR IN PLACE HAS SHEARED OFF CAUSING SIGNIFICANT DAMAGE TO OTHER ENGINE/TRANNY PARTS. BROKEN PARTS COULD HAVE CAUSED ENGINE TO LOCK-UP CAUSING A POTENTIALLY LIFE THREATENING ACCIDENT. YAMAHA CONTACTED ON TWO OCCASIONS AND WAS TOLD THAT THE MOTORCYCLE WAS OUT OF WARRANTY, RECALL HAD BEEN PERFORMED AND THIS WAS NOT THEIR PROBLEM. MAJOR GEAR THAT FAILED HAS BEEN SUPERSEDED AND REPLACED WITH A NEW PART NUMBER! COST TO REPAIR THE DAMAGE WILL BE IN EXCESS OF $4000.00 ANOTHER LOCAL 2003 ROADSTAR OWNER/RIDER HAD THE SAME EXACT EXPERIENCE ONE WEEK LATER, ALSO AT 70 MPH ALSO ON A LOCAL SOCIAL FREEWAY- NHTSA COMPLAINT FILED AS WELL. ONE INTERNET FORUM INDICATE AT LEAST 7 ADDITIONAL INSTANCES WHERE 5TH GEAR HAS FAILED. *TR