NHTSA Complaint #10340971 — 2006 YAMAHA FJR1300A

GROUND SPIDER FAILURE. 2006 FJR1300 WITH 30,880 MILES ON THE CLOCK, BOUGHT IT USED FROM A LOCAL HONDA DEALER ON 4/8/10. STARTED NOTICING WEIRD HICCUPS LESS THAN A MONTH AFTER I BOUGHT IT. I FIRST STARTED TO NOTICE PROBLEMS ON THE WAY HOME FROM DEALS GAP, NC WHILE SITTING IN 98 DEGREE RUSH HOUR LOUISVILLE TRAFFIC. BIKE DIED ON ME: TURN SIGNAL INDICATORS LIT UP, GAS GAUGE FLASHED, WINDSHIELD STAYED PUT, NO HEADLIGHT OR TAILLIGHT, NO STARTER BUTTON, NO FANS, NO HORN. PUSHED BIKE TO SIDE OF ROAD AND FIDDLED WITH IT FOR A FEW MINUTES, THINKING IT HAD JUST OVERHEATED. AFTER A FEW MINUTES OF SITTING AROUND, IT FIRED RIGHT UP. THIS PATTERN HAPPENED TO ME EVERYDAY FOR ABOUT A MONTH. DECIDED TO TAKE IT TO THE DEALER WHEN THE BIKE DIED ON ME IN A LOW SPEED, PUCKER-INDUCING TURN WITH MY FIANCEE ON THE BACK. DEALER SPENT 7 HOURS OF LABOR TO DIAGNOSE THE PROBLEM. HAD THE CHOICE OF REPLACING THE ENTIRE WIRING HARNESS ($$$$) OR CHANGING AND REWIRING THE GROUNDING BLOCK FOR FREE. I CHOSE OPTION #2. THANK YOU DREYER HONDA FOR PAYING DREYER YAMAHA'S LABOR TO CORRECT THIS ISSUE! IT IS A REAL SAFETY HAZARD THAT SHOULD DEFINITELY BE A RECALL FROM YAMAHA. AS A RESULT OF THIS ISSUE, I WAS STRANDED IN TRAFFIC 8 TIMES, DEAD ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD TWICE, AND NEARLY WRECKED IN A TURN WITH A PASSENGER DUE TO THE POWER CUTTING OUT. *TR