NHTSA Complaint #11140367 — 2015 YAMAHA BOLT

THE STEERING HAS A SPEED/DEATH WOBBLE AROUND 40 ' 50 MILES PER HOUR. IT IS MOST PRESENT WHEN DECELERATING THROUGH THAT SPEED. IT CAN BE FELT WITH TWO HANDS ON THE HANDLE BARS AND CAN CREATE AN UNSAFE CONDITION ESPECIALLY WHEN TURNING AT THESE SPEEDS. THE DEALER INDICATED THIS WAS COMMON ISSUE WITH THE MOTORCYCLE, BUT DIDN'T HAVE A FIX AND I SHOULD CHECK THE ONLINE FORUMS FOR A FIX. I DID END UP REPLACING THE STEERING HEAD BALL BEARINGS WITH A TAPER BEARING DESIGN AND THE PROBLEM WENT AWAY IMMEDIATELY. THIS IS THE FIX MOST FORUMS INDICATED. THEY ALSO INDICATE THE TIRES ARE TO BLAME, BUT I HAD REPLACED THE TIRES BEFORE THIS AND THE PROBLEM RETURNED IN LESS THAN 100 MILES. YAMAHA NEEDS TO STOP USING THE STEM BEARING SET THEY CURRENTLY SHIP WITH. THIS ISSUE IS COMMONLY DISCUSSED ON THE INTERNET AND THE FIX IS A 30 DOLLAR PART. THIS SHOULD BE CONSIDERED A SAFETY ISSUE AND YAMAHA SHOULD ISSUE A RECALL TO FIX THIS.