2003 YAMAHA MIDNIGHT STAR — Problems, Recalls & Safety Data

I AM WRITING IN REGARD TO THE TRANSMISSION FAILURE THAT I EXPERIENCED ON SATURDAY, THE 25TH OF AUGUST, 2007 ON MY 2003 MIDNIGHT ROADSTAR. FIFTH GEAR WAS LOST WHILE I WAS LEADING A GROUP OF MOTORCYCLES ON THE INTERSTATE. AT THE TIME OF THE FAILURE, I HEARD A LOUD METALLIC CLICK, AND THOUGHT OF A BREAKAGE OF THE CIRCLIP. THIS FAILURE HAD THE POTENTIAL TO RESULT IN THE IMMEDIATE LOCKUP OF THE TRANSMISSION, AND RESULTANT LOCKUP OF THE REAR WHEEL. THIS EVENT COULD HAVE LED TO A CATASTROPHIC CRASH BECAUSE IT OCCURRED AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS WITH A GROUP OF MOTORCYCLES IMMEDIATELY BEHIND ME. IN FIFTH GEAR, NO POWER AT ALL IS PROVIDED TO THE DRIVE BELT. GEARS 1-4 AND NEUTRAL CONTINUED TO OPERATE NORMALLY DURING THIS PERIOD. A LOCAL YAMAHA DEALER (CYCLE SPORT OF ALEXANDRIA, VA) HAS WORKED ON THE TRANSMISSION ON TWO PREVIOUS OCCASIONS; ONCE TO REPLACE THE CLUTCH IN NOVEMBER 2003, AND ONCE TO ACCOMPLISH THE TRANSMISSION RECALL INVOLVING THE REPLACEMENT OF A CIRCLIP THAT, UPON FAILURE, COULD RESULT IN IMMEDIATE LOCKUP OF THE TRANSMISSION, LEADING TO POTENTIAL IMMEDIATE LOCKUP OF THE REAR WHEEL. I HAVE FOLLOWED THE DEALERS RECOMMENDATION REGARDING THE ENGINE OIL (WHICH IS SHARED BY THE TRANSMISSION) SINCE DELIVERY OF THE VEHICLE WHEN IT WAS NEW. MY BELIEF IS THAT IT IS REASONABLE TO EXPECT RELIABLE TRANSMISSION SERVICE BEYOND 28,000 MILES. MY CONCERNS INCLUDE THE POSSIBILITY THAT THE RECALL WAS NOT PERFORMED PROPERLY, OR AT ALL, OR THAT THE DEALER?S RECOMMENDATION FOR THE OIL USED IN THE BIKE MAY HAVE BEEN ERRONEOUS. I HAVE COMMUNICATED THIS INFORMATION TO YAMAHA CUSTOMER SERVICE AND HAVE NOT YET RECEIVED A RESPONSE. MY CONCERN IS THAT THIS FAILURE COULD ALSO HAPPEN TO OTHERS, WITH POTENTIALLY CATASTROPHIC RESULTS. *TR UPDATED 03/13/08. *LJ

WHEN STARTING THE MOTORCYCLE THE ENGINE COUGHED (BACKFIRED THROUGH THE CARBURETOR). SUBSEQUENT ATTEMPTS TO START THE ENGINE WERE UNSUCCESSFUL BECAUSE THE STARTER WOULD NO LONGER ENGAGE. THIS LEFT ME STRANDED AND WAS FORCE TO FIND ALTERNATE TRANSPORTATION HOME IN ORDER TO PICK UP MY TRUCK & TRAILER TO GO BACK AND PICK UP THE MOTORCYCLE. SERVICE MANAGER AT THE YAMAHA DEALERSHIP STATED THAT THEY SEE THIS PROBLEM QUITE OFTEN. THE REPAIR CONSISTS OF APPLYING LOCKTITE TO A STARTER BOLT AND RE-TORQUEING THE BOLT. *NM

DT: 2003 , YAMAHA MOTORCYCLE'S FRAME RUSTED. UPON FURTHER INSPECTION THERE WAS A BRACKET WELDED TO THE FRAME THAT CRACKED. A CLOSER EXAMINATION REVEALED ALL 4 SIDES OF THE BRACKETS WERE CRACKED. . CONSUMER CAUGHT THIS IN TIME, AND THERE WERE NO ACCIDENTS OR FAILURES. BUT CONSUMER FELT IF THIS HAD BROKEN COMPLETELY THE WHOLE SUSPENSION WOULD HAVE DROPPED FROM THE MOTORCYCLE. TOOK VEHICLE TO A DEALER, WHO SAID THEY COULD WELD THIS FRAME OR BUY A NEW FRAME. CONSUMER OPTED TO BUY THE NEW FRAME BECAUSE HE FELT THIS WAS THE SAFEST OPTION. CONSUMER TOOK MOTORCYCLE FROM DEALER TO AN INDEPENDENT SHOP, WHO WAS MORE TRUSTED BY CONSUMER, HAD DISCUSSED REINFORCING THE BRACKET IF THIS WOULD BE WEAK. THE NEW FRAME WAS DOUBLE WALLED IN COMPARISON TO THE OLD FRAME WHICH WAS SINGLE WALLED. AT THIS TIME MOTORCYCLE WAS BEING REPAIRED. *AK

RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF RECALL FOR TRANSMISSION PROBLEM. CONTACTED TWO DEALERS FOR AN APPOINTMENT TO REPAIR TRANSMISSION, BUT NEITHER DEALERSHIPS ACCEPTING ANY REPAIRS BECAUSE PARTS WEREN'T AVAILABLE. THE RECALL WAS FILED AUGUST 2003 BUT THE CONSUMER WAS NOT NOTIFIED UNTIL SIX MONTHS LATER (RECALL# 03V-309000). *LA *NM (NAR)

THE DEALERSHIP WAS UNAWARE AS TO HOW LONG IT WOULD TAKE BEFORE THEY RECEIVED PARTS TO PERFORM TRANSMISSION RECALL. *PH THE CONSUMER REQUESTED THE RECALL TO BE PERFORMED IN A TIMELY MANNER OR YAMAHA SHOULD BUY THE VEHICLE BACK. *SC RECALL #03V309000. *JB