NHTSA Complaint #10449220 — 2008 YAMAHA FJR1300

THIS HAS BEEN A PROBLEM SINCE MY MOTORCYCLE HAS BEEN NEW. WHEN I STOP MY MOTORCYCLE IN 2ND GEAR, IT WILL NOT SHIFT INTO 1ST GEAR UNLESS I ROCK IT A LITTLE AFTER STOPPED. IT WILL GO INTO NEUTRAL, BUT NOT INTO 1ST GEAR. THIS IS EXTREMELY DANGEROUS, ESPECIALLY IF ON A STEEP HILL. I HAVE REPORTED IT TO THE YAMAHA DEALER WHO TOLD ME I NEEDED TO BREAK IN THE TRANSMISSION. AFTER 3700 MILES, IT IS STILL DOING THE SAME THING. I CANNOT NOT PUT THE MOTORCYCLE INTO 1ST GEAR WHEN STOPPED WITHOUT ROCKING IT. I CONTACTED YAMAHA TECHNICAL SUPPORT AND THEY TOLD ME THAT I NEED TO SHIFT INTO 1ST GEAR BEFORE I STOP. I TOLD THEM THAT THIS IS NOT ALWAYS SAFE OR POSSIBLE, ESPECIALLY WHEN MAKING A SUDDEN STOP. THEIR RESPONSE IS THAT THIS IS THE WAY THE MOTORCYCLE IS DESIGNED. I INFORMED THEM THAT IF THAT IS SO, IT IS A SERIOUS DESIGN FLAW THAT CREATES AN UNSAFE SITUATION. THEIR RESPONSE IS THAT I HAVE TO SHIFT INTO 1ST GEAR BEFORE I STOP; THE PROBLEM IS OPERATOR ERROR IF I DO NOT. THEY ARE AWARE OF THIS SITUATION AND DO NOT SEE IT AS A PROBLEM. I HAVE SPOKEN WITH OTHER FJR OWNERS WHO DO NOT HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM. I HAVE RIDDEN MANY DIFFERENT MOTORCYCLES OVER THE PAST 45 YEARS AND HAVE NEVER EXPERIENCED THIS SITUATION BEFORE. BASED ON THE INFORMATION I RECEIVED FROM YAMAHA, IT IS A PROBLEM THE TECHNICAL DEPARTMENT IS AWARE OF THAT EXISTS IN SOME YAMAHA FJRS. IT SEEMS TO BE A TRANSMISSION DEFECT OR DESIGN FLAW THAT IS PRODUCING AN UNSAFE CONDITION THAT THEY DO NOT SEE AS THEIR RESPONSIBILITY TO REMEDY.. *TR