NHTSA Complaint #10592445 — 2009 YAMAHA XVS650

ON OR ABOUT 03/01/2010. THE FINAL DRIVE ASSEMBLY FAILED WHILE TRAVELING 60-70MPH ON THE INTERSTATE. RESULTING IN A BEARING FAILURE, EATING AWAY OF SEAL AND GEAR OIL BEING SPLASHED THROUGHOUT REAR WHEEL. *JS MANUFACTURED REFUSED TO EVALUATE FAILED COMPONENT. ATTEMPTED TO PURCHASE ORIGINAL FINAL DRIVE ASSEMBLY. MANUFACTURE NO LONGER SOLD THAT SPECIFIC PART NUMBER AS IT HAD BEEN DEPRECATED AND REPLACED WITH A NEW PART NUMBER. PURCHASED REPLACEMENT COMPONENT FOR APPROXIMATELY 589.00 (OEM) (NEW PART NUMBER - ASSUMED TO HAVE IMPROVED SPECIFICATIONS OVER OLD PART NUMBER). ON 05/18/2014 AT APPROXIMATELY 78,000 MILES. THE FINAL DRIVE UNIT FAILED AGAIN. HOWEVER THIS FAILURE WAS CAUGHT IN TIME AND THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED HOME WITHOUT A SEAL FAILURE RESULTING IN GEAR OIL SATURATING PRIMARY DRIVE WHEEL. IT SHOULD BE NOTED THAT THE RELEASE OF GEAR OIL ON A MOTORCYCLE DRIVE WHEEL CAN RESULT IN A FATALITY AND/OR SEVERE INJURY. IN THE CASE OF THE BEARING FAILURE AND SEAL FAILURE THE RELEASE OF GEAR OIL FROM THE CASE AREA WAS ABRUPT AND WITHOUT NOTICE. THE FAILURE IS NOT ONE WHERE A USER WOULD EASILY SEE A SLOW LEAK AND BE ABLE TO SERVICE THE AREA IN QUESTION. WHEN SEAL FAILURE OCCURS THE GEAR OIL IS FLUNG ACROSS THE ENTIRE RADIUS OF THE REAR TIRE (LEFT SIDE). COATING THE ENTIRE SIDEWALL AND LEAKING ONTO THE BANKING RIDGE OF THE TIRE. PLEASE NOTE THAT BASED ON INFORMATION FROM FORUMS, YOUTUBE AND GENERAL KNOWLEDGE IN THE MOTORCYCLE COMMUNITY. FINAL DRIVE FAILURES ON VARIOUS YEARS OF VSTAR'S/XVS650/1100 MODELS ARE KNOWN TO EXIST. *JS