2004 YAMAHA FJR1300 — Problems, Recalls & Safety Data

ABS BRAKE SYSTEM NOT FUNCTIONING, REAR WHEEL LOCKS UP WHEN BRAKES ARE APPLIED. UNWILLING TO TEST THE FRONT WHEEL ABS SYSTEM. SEVERAL OTHER OCCURRENCES OF ABS SYSTEM FAILURE HAVE BEEN DOCUMENTED ON THE FJR FORUM.

I STOPPED DURING A MOTORCYCLE RIDE TO TAKE A PICTURE AND TURNED THE IGNITION KEY ON MY MOTORCYCLE TO THE OFF POSITION. WHEN I TURNED THE KEY BACK TO ON NO POWER WAS AVAILABLE. REPEATED ATTEMPTS TO USE THE KEY WERE UNSUCCESSFUL. I KNEW THERE HAD BEEN A RECALL ON SUBSEQUENT YEARS OF THE SAME MODEL MOTORCYCLE FOR THIS PROBLEM. IF THIS WOULD HAVE HAPPENED WHEN I WAS IN MOTION THE ENGINE WOULD HAVE IMMEDIATELY STOPPED AND ALL ELECTRICAL POWER TO THE MOTORCYCLE SYSTEMS WOULD HAVE BEEN LOST AS WELL.

TOOK OFF RAMP OFF OF HIGHWAY AND SLOWED DOWN TO STOP AT STOP LIGHT AND MOTORCYCLE DIED. NO LIGHTS, GAUGES, OR ANY TYPE OFF ELECTRICAL POWER ON THE BIKE AT ALL. COULD NOT USE FLASHERS DUE TO POWER FAILURE. PUSHED BIKE TO SIDE OF ROAD AND WITH HELP PUSHED BIKE TO GAS STATION 1/8TH MILE DOWN THE ROAD ON A BUSY HIGH WAY. AFTER DIAGNOSING ISSUE FOUND THE IGNITION SWITCH FAILED. WAS ABLE TO BYPASS IGNITION SWITCH TO GET BACK HOME. GLAD IT DIDN'T HAPPEN ON THE EXPRESSWAY. *TR

WHILE RIDING THE MOTORCYCLE ON A STRAIGHT & LEVEL ROAD, DRY, DAYTIME, CRUISING APPROXIMATELY 30 MPH (WITH MY WIFE ON BACK), BIKE SUDDENLY AND COMPLETELY QUIT, INCLUDING ALL INSTRUMENTATION AND BLINKERS. LUCKILY, I WAS ABLE TO SAFELY PULL OVER (PULLED CLUTCH IN AND COASTED OUT OF LANE) WITH TRAFFIC RIGHT ON MY BACK, AS NO FLASHERS OR BRAKE LIGHTS WERE FUNCTIONING. THANK GOD IT DIDN'T HAPPEN ON THE FREEWAY. ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD, I FOUND ALL FUSES GOOD AND AFTER AN HOUR OF ROADSIDE DIAGNOSIS, GOT A TOW TRUCK. BIKE COULD NOT BE JUMPED EITHER - BATTERY WAS GOOD, BUT 100% ELECTRICAL FAILURE. TOWED IT HOME. I SPENT AN HOUR OR SO PERFORMING ELECTRICAL DIAGNOSIS WITH WIRING DIAGRAM - FOUND THAT WHEN IGNITION SWITCH WAS BYPASSED, EVERYTHING WORKED FINE! REALIZED THAT LARGE GAUGE WIRING GOES TO IGNITION SWITCH (PRACTICALLY ALL ELECTRICAL CIRCUITS) WHICH DOESN'T SEEM LIKE A GOOD IDEA WITHOUT A RELAY. IGNITION SWITCH HAS BEEN POSITIVELY IDENTIFIED AS FAILURE CAUSING THIS SAFETY CONCERN. AN INVESTIGATION ON THE INTERNET REVEALED 2006-NEWER FJR1300'S HAVE IGNITION SWITCH RECALL FOR SAME/SIMILAR FAILURE AND SAME SAFETY CONCERN (COMPLETE FAILURE AT SOME RANDOM MOMENT.) I CONTACTED YAMAHA CORP. CUST. RELATIONS WHO STATED THAT MY BIKE IS NOT UNDER RECALL AND THEY HAVE NOT HAD SIGNIFICANT REPORTS OF THIS ISSUE. I MADE A FORMAL REPORT WITH YAMAHA. I HAVE ORDERED PARTS, WHICH ARE NOW ON BACK-ORDER. (IS THERE A PROBLEM YAMAHA) - THIS SWITCH (ON DISCOUNT) IS NEARLY $200, PLUS SEVERAL HOURS OF MY TIME, AS THE TAMPER-PROOF (THEFT-RESISTANT) BOLTS MAKE THIS A REAL BEAR TO REPLACE. YAMAHA CORP. COULD NOT TELL ME IF THE NEW REPLACEMENT SWITCH THAT I HAVE ORDERED IS THE SAME SUB-PAR SWITCH THAT HAS FAILED IN MY MOTORCYCLE OR IS THE PART HAS BEEN UPDATED. I WANT USDOT TO KNOW ABOUT THIS FAILURE IN CASE THERE ARE MORE LIKE MINE! MAJOR SAFETY CONCERN WHICH FREAKED OUT MY WIFE. THANK YOU. *TR

IGNITION SWITCH FAILURE. WITH NO PRIOR SYMPTOMS, IGNITION SWITCH FAILED TO TURN ELECTRICAL CIRCUITS ON. WITHOUT POWER, NOTHING THAT IS ELECTRICAL WORKS. IGNITION SWITCH UNIT REPLACED. DISASSEMBLY OF OLD SWITCH SHOWED EVIDENCE OF MINOR MELTING AND DISTORTION WHICH PREVENTED THE PRIMARY CONTACTS FROM TOUCHING IN THE ON POSITION. *TR