NHTSA Complaint #10453160 — 2004 YAMAHA FJR1300

WHILE RIDING THE MOTORCYCLE ON A STRAIGHT & LEVEL ROAD, DRY, DAYTIME, CRUISING APPROXIMATELY 30 MPH (WITH MY WIFE ON BACK), BIKE SUDDENLY AND COMPLETELY QUIT, INCLUDING ALL INSTRUMENTATION AND BLINKERS. LUCKILY, I WAS ABLE TO SAFELY PULL OVER (PULLED CLUTCH IN AND COASTED OUT OF LANE) WITH TRAFFIC RIGHT ON MY BACK, AS NO FLASHERS OR BRAKE LIGHTS WERE FUNCTIONING. THANK GOD IT DIDN'T HAPPEN ON THE FREEWAY. ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD, I FOUND ALL FUSES GOOD AND AFTER AN HOUR OF ROADSIDE DIAGNOSIS, GOT A TOW TRUCK. BIKE COULD NOT BE JUMPED EITHER - BATTERY WAS GOOD, BUT 100% ELECTRICAL FAILURE. TOWED IT HOME. I SPENT AN HOUR OR SO PERFORMING ELECTRICAL DIAGNOSIS WITH WIRING DIAGRAM - FOUND THAT WHEN IGNITION SWITCH WAS BYPASSED, EVERYTHING WORKED FINE! REALIZED THAT LARGE GAUGE WIRING GOES TO IGNITION SWITCH (PRACTICALLY ALL ELECTRICAL CIRCUITS) WHICH DOESN'T SEEM LIKE A GOOD IDEA WITHOUT A RELAY. IGNITION SWITCH HAS BEEN POSITIVELY IDENTIFIED AS FAILURE CAUSING THIS SAFETY CONCERN. AN INVESTIGATION ON THE INTERNET REVEALED 2006-NEWER FJR1300'S HAVE IGNITION SWITCH RECALL FOR SAME/SIMILAR FAILURE AND SAME SAFETY CONCERN (COMPLETE FAILURE AT SOME RANDOM MOMENT.) I CONTACTED YAMAHA CORP. CUST. RELATIONS WHO STATED THAT MY BIKE IS NOT UNDER RECALL AND THEY HAVE NOT HAD SIGNIFICANT REPORTS OF THIS ISSUE. I MADE A FORMAL REPORT WITH YAMAHA. I HAVE ORDERED PARTS, WHICH ARE NOW ON BACK-ORDER. (IS THERE A PROBLEM YAMAHA) - THIS SWITCH (ON DISCOUNT) IS NEARLY $200, PLUS SEVERAL HOURS OF MY TIME, AS THE TAMPER-PROOF (THEFT-RESISTANT) BOLTS MAKE THIS A REAL BEAR TO REPLACE. YAMAHA CORP. COULD NOT TELL ME IF THE NEW REPLACEMENT SWITCH THAT I HAVE ORDERED IS THE SAME SUB-PAR SWITCH THAT HAS FAILED IN MY MOTORCYCLE OR IS THE PART HAS BEEN UPDATED. I WANT USDOT TO KNOW ABOUT THIS FAILURE IN CASE THERE ARE MORE LIKE MINE! MAJOR SAFETY CONCERN WHICH FREAKED OUT MY WIFE. THANK YOU. *TR