2006 YAMAHA FJR1300AE — Problems, Recalls & Safety Data

I WAS WEST BOUND ON I80 ON MY YAMAHA FJR1300AE 2006 MOTORCYCLE ABOUT 10 MILES WEST OF JOLIET, IL. A WARNING LIGHT CAME ON "SHIFT SH46" AS I CONTINUED RIDING I ATTEMPTED TO SHIFT GEARS WITH THE PADDLE SHIFTER (ELECTRIC SHIFT). THE TRANSMISSION WOULD NOT SHIFT. I ATTEMPTED TO DOWN SHIFT USING THE FOOT OPERATED MANUAL SHIFT WITH THE SAME RESULTS. THE TRANSMISSION WAS LOCKED IN 5TH GEAR. I PULLED OFF AN EXIT RAMP AT OTTAWA, IL AND THE ENGINE STOPPED OPERATING (STALLED). I TURNED OFF THE IGNITION AND MANUALLY PUT THE TRANSMISSION IN NEUTRAL. AFTER A COUPLE OF MINUTES I RESTARTED THE FJR1300AE MOTORCYCLE, AND CONTINUED TO MY DESTINATION. THE SAME INSTANCE OCCURRED ON 10/01/2018 ON I80 DURING THE RETURN TRIP FROM OTTAWA, IL. THE MOTORCYCLE WAS AGAIN LOCKED IN 5TH GEAR WITH THE SAME WARNING LIGHTS. THE MOTORCYCLE STALLED IN 5TH GEAR, AND I PERFORMED THE SAME TASKS AS BEFORE RESTARTED THE FJR1300AE CONTINUING ON TO MY DESTINATION. I HAVE NOT HAD A REOCCURRENCE SINCE 10/01/2018.

THE MOTORCYCLE'S ENGINE QUIT SUDDENLY WITHOUT WARNING. FROM THE ON-LINE FJR FORUM AND MY PERSONAL INSPECTIONS OF ELECTRICAL COMPONENTS IN MY BIKE, I HAVE DETERMINED THAT THIS WAS CAUSED BY THE WELL KNOWN YAMAHA FJR 1300 ELECTRICAL GROUNDING ISSUE. A RECALL BY YAMAHA IS NEEDED. THIS HAS BEEN A KNOWN FJR ISSUE FOR THREE YEARS.

YAMAHA FJR AE 2006. I PURCHASED THIS BIKE IN 2010 WITH ONLY 3500 MILES ON IT. RIDING WITH FRIENDS WE WERE ABOUT TO ENTER A MAJOR INTERSTATE HIGHWAY IN DALLAS, TX. UPON GIVING THE BIKE THROTTLE THE ENGINE SUDDENLY LOST ALL POWER AT ABOUT 50 MILES PER HOUR. THE SPEEDOMETER AND TACHOMETER WERE JUMPING FROM ZERO TO MAXIMUM SEVERAL TIMES. I ALMOST LOST CONTROL AND OTHER BEHIND ME ALMOST CRASHED INTO ME FROM BEHIND. AS I BEGAN TO PULL OFF THE RAMP OUT OF THE WAY OF OTHER TRAFFIC SUDDENLY THE BIKE RESTARTED AND REGAINED POWER. IT HAS NOT DONE THIS AGAIN. WHEN I TOOK THE BIKE TO THE LOCAL YAMAHA DEALER THEY TOLD ME THERE WERE NO ACTIVE RECALLS ON THIS MODEL. NOW I FIND THAT INDEED THE IGNITION SWITCH HAS A SAFETY RECALL AND I'M QUITE SURE THIS IS THE PROBLEM. I WILL RETURN TO THE DEALER TO HAVE THE IGNITION RECALL COMPLETED. *TR

2006 YAMAHA FJR1300. VEHICLE WAS BEING RIDDING AND THE SPEEDOMETER STOPPED WORKING, ABS AND CHECK ENGINE LIGHTS STARTED FLASHING AND THE GEAR INDICATOR WAS ALSO FLASHING. THIS IS THE AE MODEL WITH ELECTRICAL SHIFTING. IT WAS STUCK IN 5TH GEAR AND WOULD NOT DOWN SHIFT. I WAS ABLE TO RETURN IT TO THE PARKING LOT IN HIGH GEAR AND TURN OFF THE MOTOR. CALLED DEALER AND HE CLEANED A CORRODED GROUND SPIDER AND VEHICLE IS NOW OPERATING PROPERLY AGAIN. *TR

THERE WERE NO MEMORABLE EVENTS LEADING UP TO THE FAILURE. THERE ARE NO MODIFICATIONS TO THE MOTOR, ELECTRICAL, OR IGNITION SYSTEMS. ALL SYSTEMS REMAIN STOCK FROM THE DEALER/MANUFACTURER. THE MOTOR WAS CUTTING IN AND OUT LIKE THERE WAS AN ELECTRICAL INTERRUPTION. AT THE SAME TIME THAT THE MOTOR WAS CUTTING IN AND OUT, THE TURN SIGNALS AND HIGH BEAMS INDICATOR WOULD TURN ON FOR AS LONG AS THE MOTOR WAS CUTTING IN AND OUT, WHICH WAS VERY FAST (EXAMPLE: .5 SECOND). THIS CONDITION CONTINUED FOR 3 MONTHS WITH NO REGULARITY. THE COMPLETE FAILURE FINALLY OCCURRED WHILE TRAVELING HOME FROM WORK ON THE FREEWAY. I WAS ABLE TO SAFELY GET TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD, BUT WAS UNABLE TO GET THE MOTOR STARTED. I HAD TO CALL A TOW TRUCK AND PAY TO HAVE THE VEHICLE TOWED TO MY RESIDENCE. FOUND AN ELECTRICAL CONNECTOR (KNOWN AS S4 SPIDER GROUND) THAT SERVES AS A COMMON GROUND TO 5 OTHER ELECTRICAL WIRES WAS MELTED, LIKE IT WAS OVER HEATING FROM INSIDE THE CONNECTOR. THIS CONNECTOR DOES NOT CONTACT ANY HOT SURFACES. I CLEANED THE CONNECTOR WITH ELECTRICAL CONTACT CLEANER. I PICKED OUT THE MELTED PLASTIC THAT WAS BLOCKING THE CONNECTOR HOLES. I ALSO CLEANED OFF THE CONNECTOR PLUG THAT CONNECTS ALL THE ELECTRICAL CONNECTOR TERMINALS TOGETHER DUE TO CORROSION AND MELTED PLASTIC STUCK TO IT. FINALLY, I APPLIED DIE-ELECTRIC GREASE TO THE CONNECTORS TO REDUCE CORROSION AND IMPROVE THE CONNECTION BETWEEN THE CONNECTORS AND THE CONNECTOR PLUG. I COULD NOT REPLACE THE CONNECTOR WITHOUT REPLACING THE ENTIRE HEAD LIGHT ELECTRICAL HARNESS. THIS FIX LASTED FOR 1 YEAR BEFORE FAILING AGAIN. I DID THE SAME CLEANING AS I HAD MENTIONED ABOVE, BUT IT FAILED AGAIN AFTER 2 MONTHS. I THEN SOLDERED 2 SEPARATE WIRES TO THE TOP OF THE 6 PRONG CONNECTOR AND ATTACHED THOSE WIRES TO TWO DIFFERENT POINTS ON THE VEHICLE. THE LAST FIX HAS LASTED 11 MONTHS WITH NO MORE EVIDENCE OF OVERHEATING TO THE S4 GROUNDING PLUG. THERE HAS NOT BEEN ANY MORE ENGINE CUTTING IN AND OUT SYMPTOMS EITHER. *TR