NHTSA Complaint #10482370 — 2009 YAMAHA XVS13

THE FUEL TANK HAS IMPLODED A TOTAL OF FIVE TIMES IN THE PAST MONTH. THE FIRST TWO OCCURRED WHEN THE BIKE WAS PARKED IN MY GARAGE. THE LAST 3 HAVE HAPPENED WHILE RIDING AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS OF APPROXIMATELY 50-60 MPH. WHEN THE TANK IS OPENED FOR FUELING THE IMPLOSION SOMEWHAT CORRECTS ITSELF ALTHOUGH I HAD TO USE COMPRESSED AIR ONCE TO POP THE TANK BACK OUT. I HAVE HAD IT BACK TO DEALER TWICE FOR FIXES BUT IT IS STILL DOING IT AS OF 10/25/2012. THE TANK IS RUINED. IT IS VERY DISCONCERTING FOR THIS TO HAPPEN WHILE DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD. THE FIRST TIME IT HAPPENED TO ME WHILE MOVING THE CLANG SCARED THE DICKENS OUT OF ME AND I ALMOST WRECKED THE BIKE. THE PROBLEM, ACCORDING TO VARIOUS FORUMS, IS APPARENTLY RELATED TO THE TANK ROLL-OVER VALVE VENT MALFUNCTIONING, CREATING A VACUUM AND SUCKING IN THE TANK. THIS LOOKS LIKE IT HAS BEEN GOING ON WITH VARIOUS YAMAHA STAR CYCLES SINCE THE MID 1990'S. THE VACUUM CREATED CAN ALSO CAUSE THE FUEL PUMP TO STARVE FOR FUEL CAUSING THE BIKE TO QUIT RUNNING WHILE IN THE MIDDLE OF TRAFFIC WHICH CAN BE DANGEROUS TO SAY THE LEAST. I BOUGHT THE BIKE NEW IN THE SPRING OF 2010. OPENING THE FUEL CAP ON THE TANK HAD ALWAYS BEEN A LITTLE DIFFICULT DUE TO A SLIGHT (SOMETIMES MORE THAN SLIGHT) VACUUM WITHIN THE TANK. I JUST THOUGHT THAT WAS NORMAL AND NEVER THOUGHT ANYTHING ABOUT IT. *TR