2013 YAMAHA XTZ12 — Problems, Recalls & Safety Data

I WASN'T NOTIFIED OF YAMAHA 2014 RECALL TO REPLACE HEADLIGHT SOCKET. I WAS SURPRISED BY YAMAHA DEALER BARNES BROS. TODAY WHEN TOLD THAT MY MOTORCYCLE IS DUE FOR THIS RECALL. AS ORIGINAL OWNER, I'VE HAD THE MOTORCYCLE TO THE BOHN YAMAHA DEALER FOR 4 YEARS. SO I CALLED YAMAHA TODAY AT 1-800-962-7926 AND THE TWO CALL TAKERS COULD'T TELL ME ANYTHING USEFUL ABOUT THIS RECALL. THEY STUCK TO THEIR APPROVED SCRIPT TO ONLY SAY THE YAMAHA HAS MY CORRECT HOME ADDRESS ON FILE. THEY SAY THERE'S NO WAY FOR YAMAHA TO TRACK IF I WAS EVER MAILED NOTIFICATION OF THIS RECALL. THEY TELL ME THERE'S NO YAMAHA DATABASE TO SHOW IF THE MOTORCYCLE MAYBE ALREADY HAS THE UPDATE (INDICATING A POTENTIAL ADMINISTRATION ERROR). DOES YAMAHA TAKE THESE THINGS SERIOUSLY? FEELS LIKE THEY DO NOT.

THE MOTORCYCLE WILL SOMETIMES ACCELERATE ON ITS OWN, OTHER TIMES IT WILL RANDOMLY SHUT DOWN WHILE DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD IN TRAFFIC. THIS IS A WIDELY DISCUSSED PROBLEM BY XTZ1200 OWNERS. SO FAR YAMAHA HAS YET TO ISSUE A TECHNICAL BULLETIN OR A RECALL. I HAVE A VIDEO THAT SHOWS THE MOTORCYCLE ACTING THIS WAY. THIS ISSUE CAN BE DANGEROUS AS THE BIKE WILL SOMETIMES SHUT DOWN WHILE MAKING A TURN. I HAVE CONTACTED YAMAHA CORPORATION AND THEY HAVE AGREED TO WATCH THE VIDEO ONLY IF ITS SUBMITTED BY A DEALER. I HAVE ARRANGED FOR THAT TO OCCUR. THIS ISSUE SEEMS TO BE MOST PREVALENT ON THE FIRST GENERATION XTZ1200'S (2010-2013). THERE IS A WEBSITE FOR OWNERS OF THIS MOTORCYCLE (WWW.YAMAHASUPERTENERE.COM), THERE IS CURRENTLY 78 PAGES OF DISCUSSION ON THIS EXACT ISSUE. SINCE YAMAHA HAS NOT TAKEN THE LEAD IN RESOLVING THIS SAFETY CONCERN, WE HAVE DECIDED TO REPORT OUR EXPERIENCE TO YOUR AGENCY.

THE MOTORCYCLE WILL SOMETIMES ACCELERATE ON ITS OWN, OTHER TIMES IT WILL RANDOMLY SHUT DOWN WHILE DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD IN TRAFFIC. THIS IS A WIDELY DISCUSSED PROBLEM BY XTZ1200 OWNERS. SO FAR YAMAHA HAS YET TO ISSUE A TECHNICAL BULLETIN OR A RECALL. I HAVE A VIDEO THAT SHOWS THE MOTORCYCLE ACTING THIS WAY. THIS ISSUE CAN BE DANGEROUS AS THE BIKE WILL SOMETIMES SHUT DOWN WHILE MAKING A TURN. I HAVE CONTACTED YAMAHA CORPORATION AND THEY HAVE AGREED TO WATCH THE VIDEO ONLY IF ITS SUBMITTED BY A DEALER. I HAVE ARRANGED FOR THAT TO OCCUR. THIS ISSUE SEEMS TO BE MOST PREVALENT ON THE FIRST GENERATION XTZ1200'S (2010-2013). THERE IS A WEBSITE FOR OWNERS OF THIS MOTORCYCLE (WWW.YAMAHASUPERTENERE.COM), THERE IS CURRENTLY 78 PAGES OF DISCUSSION ON THIS EXACT ISSUE. SINCE YAMAHA HAS NOT TAKEN THE LEAD IN RESOLVING THIS SAFETY CONCERN, WE HAVE DECIDED TO REPORT OUR EXPERIENCE TO YOUR AGENCY.

2013 YAMAHA SUPER TENERE. ENGINE/IDLE SPEED VARIES AND/OR ENGINE DIES. SOMETIMES IT SPEEDS UP (TO AS MUCH AS 4000 RPM) WITHOUT ANY RIDER INPUT (DANGEROUS) AND IF THE CLUTCH IS ACTIVATED SIMULTANEOUSLY IT WON'T IDLE AND ENGINE DIES. ALSO DIFFICULTY STARTING. SEEMS TO HAPPEN MORE OFTEN IN COOLER TEMPERATURES VS WARM. TURNING OFF THE IGNITION THEN TURNING IT BACK ON SOMETIMES TEMPORALLY SEEMS TO RESET THINGS (MAY TAKE SEVERAL ATTEMPTS). IT WILL RUN AT CRUISE SPEEDS BUT ONCE SPEED IS REDUCED THE PROBLEMS OCCUR. A FAULT CODE OF 60 ONCE CAME UP ON THE DISPLAY. THE RIDER MUST BE PREPARED FOR UNCONTROLLED INCREASES OR DECREASES IN THROTTLE. RESEARCH HAS STRONGLY SUGGESTED THIS IS HAPPENING TO OTHER OWNERS AND MAY BE ASSOCIATED WITH A WIRING/ELECTRICAL CONNECTION ISSUE. IN MARCH OF 2016 I CONTACTED YAMAHA DIRECTLY AND THEY SUGGESTED I TAKE IT TO DEALER. TOOK IT TO DEALER AND THEY HAD IT 2 WEEKS AND WAS ADVISED THEY COULD NOT DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM. BUT IT IS INTERMITTENT AND GENERALLY UNPREDICTABLE EXCEPT FOR A SUBSTANTIAL INCREASE IN SYMPTOMS WHEN THE AMBIENT AIR TEMPERATURES DROP BELOW 70 DEGREES F AND ESPECIALLY BELOW 60. THIS FIRST OCCURRED IN JUNE OF 2015 AT 3050 MILES AND HAS CONTINUED OFF AND ON THROUGH THE PRESENT MILEAGE OF 35,000. IT OCCURRED CONSISTENTLY ON A RECENT TRIP NORTH (COOL TEMPS AND RAIN) AND THERE WERE NO SERVICES AVAILABLE FOR SEVERAL THOUSAND MILES. ONCE I ENCOUNTERED WARMER TEMPS ON THE RETURN TRIP SOUTH THE SYMPTOMS WENT AWAY FOR THE FINAL 2000 MILES OF A 9000 TRIP. SINCE I GENERALLY RIDE IN WARMER TEMPERATURES (SUMMER) IT HAS NOT OCCURRED CONSISTENTLY. BUT ON THIS RECENT TRIP IT HAPPENED EVERY DAY FOR OVER A WEEK AND REQUIRED EXTREME CAUTION AND WAS QUITE CHALLENGING TO CONTROL AND UNCERTAIN IF IT WOULD START OR CONTINUE RUNNING.

2013 YAMAHA SUPER TENERE. ENGINE/IDLE SPEED VARIES AND/OR ENGINE DIES. SOMETIMES IT SPEEDS UP (TO AS MUCH AS 4000 RPM) WITHOUT ANY RIDER INPUT (DANGEROUS) AND IF THE CLUTCH IS ACTIVATED SIMULTANEOUSLY IT WON'T IDLE AND ENGINE DIES. ALSO DIFFICULTY STARTING. SEEMS TO HAPPEN MORE OFTEN IN COOLER TEMPERATURES VS WARM. TURNING OFF THE IGNITION THEN TURNING IT BACK ON SOMETIMES TEMPORALLY SEEMS TO RESET THINGS (MAY TAKE SEVERAL ATTEMPTS). IT WILL RUN AT CRUISE SPEEDS BUT ONCE SPEED IS REDUCED THE PROBLEMS OCCUR. A FAULT CODE OF 60 ONCE CAME UP ON THE DISPLAY. THE RIDER MUST BE PREPARED FOR UNCONTROLLED INCREASES OR DECREASES IN THROTTLE. RESEARCH HAS STRONGLY SUGGESTED THIS IS HAPPENING TO OTHER OWNERS AND MAY BE ASSOCIATED WITH A WIRING/ELECTRICAL CONNECTION ISSUE. IN MARCH OF 2016 I CONTACTED YAMAHA DIRECTLY AND THEY SUGGESTED I TAKE IT TO DEALER. TOOK IT TO DEALER AND THEY HAD IT 2 WEEKS AND WAS ADVISED THEY COULD NOT DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM. BUT IT IS INTERMITTENT AND GENERALLY UNPREDICTABLE EXCEPT FOR A SUBSTANTIAL INCREASE IN SYMPTOMS WHEN THE AMBIENT AIR TEMPERATURES DROP BELOW 70 DEGREES F AND ESPECIALLY BELOW 60. THIS FIRST OCCURRED IN JUNE OF 2015 AT 3050 MILES AND HAS CONTINUED OFF AND ON THROUGH THE PRESENT MILEAGE OF 35,000. IT OCCURRED CONSISTENTLY ON A RECENT TRIP NORTH (COOL TEMPS AND RAIN) AND THERE WERE NO SERVICES AVAILABLE FOR SEVERAL THOUSAND MILES. ONCE I ENCOUNTERED WARMER TEMPS ON THE RETURN TRIP SOUTH THE SYMPTOMS WENT AWAY FOR THE FINAL 2000 MILES OF A 9000 TRIP. SINCE I GENERALLY RIDE IN WARMER TEMPERATURES (SUMMER) IT HAS NOT OCCURRED CONSISTENTLY. BUT ON THIS RECENT TRIP IT HAPPENED EVERY DAY FOR OVER A WEEK AND REQUIRED EXTREME CAUTION AND WAS QUITE CHALLENGING TO CONTROL AND UNCERTAIN IF IT WOULD START OR CONTINUE RUNNING.