2006 Yamaha FJR1300AE

IGNITION SWITCH FAILED, WHICH STRANDED MY WIFE AND I 20 MILES NORTH OF LEAKY TEXAS ON RD 336, WHICH IS AN OPEN CATTLE RANGE AREA WHERE CELL PHONE'S DON'T HAVE COVERAGE, IN THE MIDDLE OF A 100 DEGREE DAY ON 9 AUGUST 2008. HAD STOPPED ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD TO GET A BOTTLE OF WATER OUT OF THE SADDLE BAG, WHEN IGNITION SWITCH TURNED BACK TO "ON" POSITION, NOTHING HAPPENED. HAD ALREADY LEARNED FROM THIS SITE THAT YAMAHA FJR'S HAVE A KNOWN PROBLEM WITH IGNITION SWITCH FAILURES. CUT INTO THE WIRE HARNESS COMING FROM THE IGNITION SWITCH, CUT THE BROWN AND RED WIRES, AND SPLICED IN A 30 AMP TOGGLE SWITCH, WHICH BYPASSED MY IGNITION SWITCH AND RESTORED POWER. LEARNED ABOUT THE NEED TO CARRY PARTS TO BYPASS THE SWITCH DUE TO ALL THE IGNITION SWITCH FAILURES REPORTED ON THIS SITE. *TR

IGNITION SWITCH FAILURE ON MOTORCYCLE. FAILED SUDDENLY WHILE MOVING, WITH NEAR LOSS OF CONTROL. CONTACTS PULLED OUT OF SWITCH BODY INTERNAL TO SWITCH. THIS PROBLEM HAS BEEN REPORTED ON INTERNET FORUMS BY DOZENS OF YAMAHA FJR1300 OWNERS AND HAS NEVER BEEN RESOLVED. IT IS A DANGEROUS CONDITION SINCE A MOTORCYCLE MUST BE BALANCED BY THROTTLE APPLICATION WHILE LEANED OVER, OTHERWISE, THE MOTORCYCLE WILL EITHER FALL OVER, OR THE PATH MUST BE CHANGED TO KEEP IT UPRIGHT. UNDER LESS THAN IDEAL CIRCUMSTANCES, THIS COULD CAUSE CROSSING LANES. *TR

1) WHAT YEAR FJR? 2006 FJR1300AE WITH 16,500 MILES, PURCHASED NEW 3/2007 2) FAILED WHILE RUNNING? OR WHILE TURNING IGNITION? OR WHATEVER? TUESDAY NIGHT (11/06/07) AFTER PUMPING GAS I TURNED ON MY KEY AND WATCHED THE GAUGES FIRE UP FOR ABOUT HALF A SECOND, THEN EVERYTHING WENT DEAD. I FIDDLED WITH THE KEY A BIT AND GOT IT STARTED. I MESSED WITH THE IGNITION A BIT MORE AND COULD NOT DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM. WEDNESDAY MORNING I HAD THE SAME PROBLEM. ONCE I GOT IT STARTED, I COULD NOT DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM AGAIN. I CALLED YAMAHA WHEN I GOT TO WORK AND GAVE THEM THE FJRF003 INFO, AND TRIED TO GET ADVICE. YAMAHA SUGGESTED I TAKE IT TO A DEALER TO SEE IF THE PROBLEM COULD BE DUPLICATED. I AM THINKING THIS SUCKS SINCE I CANNOT MAKE IT HAPPEN ON COMMAND. WHEN I LEFT WORK WEDNESDAY I HAD THE SAME PROBLEM, BUT I LEARNED I COULD MAKE IT HAPPEN MORE OFTEN WITH THE HANDLEBARS IN DIFFERENT POSITIONS. ON MY RIDE HOME AT ABOUT 75MPH THE FJR POWERED DOWN AS THE IGNITION FAILED. 3) HOW MANY DAYS WAS THE BIKE AT THE DEALER FOR SERVICE? 13 DAYS. SIERRA YAMAHA IS LOCATED OUT IN THE MIDDLE OF THE DESERT AND HAD TO WAIT THREE DAYS FOR A LOCKSMITH TO RE-KEY THE IGNITION BEFORE. IF THE IGNITION WAS NOT RE-KEYED I WOULD HAVE HAD THE BIKE IN 10 DAYS. 4) PAID FOR BY YAMAHA OR NOT? YES, IT WAS COVERED UNDER WARRANTY. 5) BRIEFLY, HOW BADLY WERE YOU INCONVENIENCED BY THIS IGNITION FAILURE? THE COST TO ME FOR THE FAILURE IS ABOUT $130. THE COST IS RELATED TO FUEL TO DRIVE MY TRUCK INSTEAD OF MY FJR. THERE WAS SOME WORRY ON MY PART WHAT WOULD HAPPEN ON AN AE MODEL IF THE IGNITION FAILED WHILE IN MOTION. I AM PLEASE TO ANNOUNCE THE AE DOES NOT LOCK THE REAR WHEEL UNTIL THE BIKE STOPS MOVING. HOWEVER, IF I WAS NOT ABLE TO GET OFF THE ROAD I WOULD HAVE BEEN STUCK IN THE MIDDLE OF THE AT NIGHT WITH NO TAIL LIGHTS AND UNABLE TO MOVE THE MOTORCYCLE. IT APPEARS THIS MIGHT BECOME A LARGER ISSUE. SEE LINK FOR OTHER OWNERS WITH THE SAME. HTTP://WWW.FJRFORUM.COM/FORUM//INDEX.PHP?SHOWTOPIC=26098 *TR