NHTSA Complaint #10397425 — 2006 YAMAHA XV19

YAMAHA ROADLINER XV 1900 I HAVE A 2006 YAMAHA ROADLINER XV1900 ON WHICH THE ENGINE WILL DIE COMPLETELY WHEN COMING TO A STOP FREQUENTLY AFTER PULLING IN THE CLUTCH. THIS HAS BEEN HAPPENING SINCE I FIRST BOUGHT THE BIKE BACK IN NOVEMBER OF 2006. IN FACT IT HAPPENED THE FIRST DAY I DROVE IT HOME BUT I THOUGHT I WAS OUT OF GAS AND AFTER FILLING UP IT DID NOT OCCUR FOR SOME TIME AFTER. AS THE MILES ROLLED UP THIS PROBLEM WOULD OCCUR RANDOMLY WHEN COMING TO A STOP SUCH AS EXITING A FREEWAY OR PULLING UP TO A STOPLIGHT. ONE DAY I WAS ACTUALLY ABLE TO REPLICATE THE ACTION OVER AND OVER AGAIN OVER THE COURSE OF MY DAYS RIDE. I BELONG TO AN ONLINE COMMUNITY OF FELLOW STAR MOTORCYCLE OWNERS OF SPECIFICALLY THE YAMAHA STRATOLINER, ROADLINER AND RAIDER MODELS. THE BIKES USE IDENTICAL COMPONENTS AND WE HAVE NOTED THAT THERE ARE A SIGNIFICANT NUMBER OF US WHO HAVE EXPERIENCED THIS EXACT SAME PROBLEM. IN THE COURSE OF OUR DISCUSSIONS ABOUT IT WE HAVE NOTED THE FOLLOWING: #1 - IT ALWAYS HAPPENS WHEN COMING TO A STOP WHETHER DOWN SHIFTING OR NOT. #2 - IF THE CLUTCH SAFETY INTERLOCK SWITCH IS REMOVED FROM THE SYSTEM THE PROBLEM NO LONGER OCCURS. THIS WAS DISCOVERED BY MYSELF AND A COUPLE OTHER FELLOWS WHOSE SWITCHES HAD FAILED AND WERE NO LONGER FUNCTIONING PROPERLY. WITH A FAILED SWITCH THE BIKE WILL NO LONGER START UNLESS IT IS NEUTRAL AND THE KICKSTAND IS RAISED. SINCE THE SWITCH CONTROLS THE ELECTRONIC CONTROL MODULE THIS MEANS THAT THERE IS SOME KIND OF ISSUE WITH THE MAPPING THAT YAMAHA USES TO CONTROL THEIR ENGINES PROBABLY FOR CONTROL OF EMISSIONS. WHEN THIS HAPPENS MANY OF US HAVE BEEN STUCK AT INTERSECTIONS OR OTHER LOCATIONS WITH TRAFFIC COMING BEHIND US DESPERATELY TRYING TO RESTART OUR BIKES WITHOUT GETTING KILLED DOING SO. THIS PROBLEM HAS BEEN REPORTED TO MANY DEALERS AND WITH MANY CALLS TO YAMAHA CUSTOMER SERVICE. WE HAVE ALL GOTTEN THE SAME RESPONSE. "THERE IS NOTHING WRONG WITH THE BIKE OR THE SWITCH NEEDS CLEANED OR REPLACED. *TR