NHTSA Complaint #10292122 — 2005 YAMAHA XVS11

MOTORCYCLE IS A 2005 YAMAHA V-STAR 1000 WITH 23,000 MILES ON IT, AND IT BEGAN MAKING A LOUD WHINING NOISE, WHICH SEEMED TO BE AT IT WORST DURING THE FIRST 2-3 MILES OF OPERATION. AFTER CONSULTING WITH A WEB FORUM DEDICATED TO THESE MOTORCYCLES, I DISCOVERED THE THREADED END OF THE INTERMEDIATE DRIVESHAFT HAD BROKEN, AND THE NUT WHICH RETAINS THE U-JOINT YOKE WAS FREE TO MOVE AROUND INSIDE THE U-JOINT. THERE WAS ALSO LIMITED DAMAGE TO THE U-JOINT YOKE, WHICH WAS CAUSED BY THE NUT MOVING AROUND WHILE THE MOTORCYCLE WAS OPERATING. THIS APPEARS TO BE A FAIRLY COMMON PROBLEM AMONG THESE YAMAHA MOTORCYCLES, AND CAN LEAD TO MAJOR REPAIR WORK IF THE SHAFT GETS BENT FROM NOT BEING SECURED CORRECTLY. OF THE THREE OPTIONS RECOMMENDED ON THIS FORUM FOR REPAIRING THE PROBLEM, I CHOSE THE CHEAPEST AND FASTEST TO REPAIR OPTION OF DRILLING AND TAPPING THE END OF THE SHAFT TO ACCEPT A BOLT IN LIEU OF REMOVING THE ENGINE AND TRANSMISSION TO REPLACE THE BROKEN SHAFT. I WAS ABLE TO SMOOTH OUT THE DAMAGED AREAS ON THE U-JOINT YOKE. *TR