NHTSA Complaint #11385746 — 2016 YAMAHA FJR1300

I RODE TO LUNCH WITH SOME FRIENDS ON SATURDAY, MARCH 25, 2017. AFTER LUNCH, WE GOT BACK ON THE BIKES TO GO HOME. WE CAME TO A RED LIGHT, IT TURNED GREEN AND WE PULLED AWAY. I'M RIDING WITH CRUISERS AND WAS THE SECOND BIKE. PULLING AWAY WAS NOTHING DRAMATIC OR "SPIRITED". THE BIKE MADE A FUNNY BANG, LOST POWER, AND STARTED KNOCKING. GOT IT PULLED OVER TO A SAFE PLACE IN ABOUT 100 YARDS. IT WOULD RUN, BUT THE LACK OF POWER AND KNOCKING CONTINUED. I HAD IT TOWED TO THE SHOP AND WENT BY TO VISIT WITH THEM APRIL 4, 2017. THE MANAGER CAME OUT AND ASKED ME TO JOIN HIM IN THE SHOP. THEY HAD DISASSEMBLED THE ENGINE THAT MORNING AND HAD IT ON A BENCH. HE SHOWED ME THE INSIDE. IT LOOKED LIKE A GRENADE WENT OFF IN THERE. THERE WAS SHRAPNEL EVERYWHERE. THERE WAS A HOLE IN THE WALL SEPARATING THE TRANSMISSION FROM THE CRANK-CHAMBER, THE CRANK SHAFT WAS CHEWED UP, ONE CON-ROD WAS BROKEN, AND THE UNDERSIDE OF THE PISTON WAS CHEWED UP. THEY SUSPECT THAT ONE OF THE GEARS DISINTEGRATED, DROVE THROUGH THE SIDE OF THE CASE, AND BROKE THE CON-ROD BEFORE BOUNCING AROUND AND CHEWING UP EVERYTHING ELSE. YAMAHA HAS ASKED HIM FOR PHOTOS AND A PARTS LIST. HE SENT THEM PHOTOS. WHEN THEY SAW THE EXTEND OF THE DAMAGE, THEY SENT A CRATE MOTOR TO REPLACE THE WHOLE THING.