NHTSA Complaint #11052665 — 2015 YAMAHA FJ-09

WHILE SITTING IN TRAFFIC AT A STOP LIGHT I FELT A POP IN MY LEFT HAND AND THE CLUTCH GAINED AN EXTRA HALF INCH OF SLACK. THE MOTORCYCLE BEGAN TRYING TO LURCH FORWARD FROM THE NOW SLIPPING CLUTCH. THE CLUTCH CABLE HAD BEGUN TO BREAK. I MANAGED TO WRESTLE THE BIKE OUT OF TRAFFIC TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD WITHOUT INJURING MYSELF BUT ALMOST DROPPED THE MOTORCYCLE NUMEROUS TIMES. I WAS ABLE TO LIMP THE MOTORCYCLE HOME AND INVESTIGATE THE ISSUE FURTHER. I HAD READ ONLINE OF MANY OTHERS HAVING SIMILAR ISSUES WITH THE CLUTCH CABLE BREAKING. I ATTEMPTED TO ADJUST THE CABLE BUT IT WOULD NOT COME INTO SPEC. I REALIZED I WOULD NEED A NEW CABLE SO I TOOK A RAZOR BLADE AND DISSECTED THE CLUTCH CABLE. UPON OPENING IT, 90% OF THE CABLE HAD TORN AND THERE WAS ONLY 2 STEEL STRANDS FROM A COMPLETE BREAK. THIS BIKE HAS BEEN ON THE ROAD FOR ONLY 9 MONTHS AND HAS COMPLETED JUST OVER 10,000 MILES. UPON ORDERING A REPLACEMENT CABLE I NOTICED THAT YAMAHA HAS UPDATED THE PART NUMBER FROM 2PP-26335-01-00 TO 2PP-26335-02-00 INDICATING THE REVISION. THE ORIGINAL CABLE HAS A GUIDE TUBE WHICH IS TOO SHORT AND THAT CAUSES THE CABLE TO SLIGHTLY BIND AND RUB CAUSING THE FAILURE. SOME OTHER RIDERS REPORT ISSUES AS EARLY AS 3,000 MILES. OTHERS BRAG THAT THEIR CLUTCH CABLE MADE IT AN ASTONISHING 24,000 MILES BEFORE BREAKING. THE CLUTCH IS THE ONLY THING THAT SEPERATES THE MOTOR FROM THE DRIVE AND IS A CRITICAL PART IN MAINTAINING CONTROL OF THE MOTORCYCLE. IF YOU ARE NO ABLE TO DISENGAGE THE MOTOR FROM THE DRIVE, THE BIKE WILL NOT WANT TO STOP. SHIFTING OUT OF GEAR TO NEUTRAL IS ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE WITH NO CLUTCH AND THE MOTOR TRYING TO TURN THE DRIVE. I WAS LUCKY THAT MY CLUTCH CABLE GAVE WAY WHILE SITTING STILL. HAD I BEEN DECELERATING FROM HIGHWAY SPEED I DOUBT I WOULD HAVE BEEN ABLE TO STOP IN A NORMAL DISTANCE. YAMAHA SHOULD RECALL THIS PART. COST IS $22 AND LESS THAN AN HOUR TO INSTALL. SAFETY MATTERS