NHTSA Complaint #767330 — 2002 YAMAHA YAMAHA

BATTERY LEAKAGE: AFTER DRIVING MOTORCYCLE AROUND OAHU FOR ABOUT AN HOUR ON 15 AUG 02, I STOPPED FOR FOOD. UPON RETURNING TO MY MOTORCYCLE, I DID A QUICK WALK AROUND INSPECTION AND NOTICED A WHITE, CRUSTY SPOT LOCATED ON THE LEFT TOP SIDE OF THE SWINGARM. UPON FURTHER INSPECTION, I SAW THAT THERE WAS BATTERY ACID DRIPPING FROM THE BATTERY BOX UNDER THE SEAT AREA. ACID WAS DRIPPING ON SWINGARM, REAR SUSPENSION SPRING, BATTERY BOX, AND CHAIN. CORROSION ON SWINGARM, SPRING, OR CHAIN COULD LEAD TO STRUCTURE FAILURE, RESULTING IN LOSS OF CONTROL AND AN ACCIDENT. HAVING DONE FURTHER RESEARCH INTO THIS MATTER, IT APPEARS THAT THERE ARE LOTS OF OTHER R6 OWNERS HAVING THIS SAME PROBLEM. IT HAS BEEN ADDRESSED TO YAMAHA BY MANY OF THEM, AND YAMAHA HAS AND HASN'T REPLACED THE DAMAGED PARTS, DEPENDING ON DEALERSHIP. APPARENTLY, THE SEALED BATTERIES ARE FAULTY, AND GAS PRESSURE BUILDS UP INSIDE OF IT UNTIL IT RUPTURES AND LEAKS BATTERY ACID ALL OVER. THIS IS A POTENTIALLY SEVERE ISSUE THAT MUST BE ADDRESSED BY NHTSA IN ORDER FOR YAMAHA TO RECALL ALL OF THE AFFECTED BATTERIES.