2004 Yamaha FZ6

I WAS RETURNING HOME TO PLANO, TX FROM A WEEKEND TRIP TO COLORADO. I WAS ABOUT AN HOUR AWAY FROM HOME, WHEN I STARTED TO EXPERIENCE ENGINE HESITATION WHENEVER I RELEASED AND REAPPLIED THE THROTTLE. THE NEXT DAY, THE HESITATION WAS GONE, BUT I NOTICED THAT MY FUEL MILEAGE HAD GONE WAY DOWN (FORMERLY 42-45 MPG TO THE CURRENT 35 MPG). THE ENGINE IS ALSO RUNNING RICH, ENOUGH THAT I CAN SMELL UNBURNT FUEL IN THE EXHAUST. THE ENGINE ALSO HAS STARTED TO IDLE ERRATICALLY, FLUCTUATING IN RPMS.

AT ABOUT 6200 MILES WHILE PULLING UP TO A LIGHT OF A STEADY RUN MY MOTORCYCLE WOULD DIE. RESTART IT, AND IT WOULD BE MISFIRE REAL BADLY AND DIE AGAIN. TAKE KEY OUT AND BACK IN IT WOULD FIRE UP JUST FINE, FOR THE TIME BEING. FIRST TIME THIS HAPPENED I WAS ABOUT TO TAKE A TURN, HAD THE CLUTCH IN DOWN SHIFT, THEN BRAKED FOR AN ONCOMING CAR, AS I STARTED TO LEAN I WAS LETTING THE CLUTCH OUT, WHEN LOW AND BEHOLD THE ENGINE DIED. SO IT JUST LOCKED UP. LUCKILY, I WAS ABLE TO GET THAT CLUTCH IN BEFORE IT WENT OVER. TOOK IT TO THE DEALER AND THEY HAD IT A COUPLE DAYS AND SAID THERE WERE NO CODES, AND THEY COULD NOT DUPLICATE THE COMPLAINT. IT ACTED UP WHEN EVER IT FELT LIKE. SOMETIMES IT RAN FINE FOR WEEKS, THEN SOMETIMES IT MESSES UP A BUNCH IN 1 WEEK. I'VE RESEARCHED THIS TOPIC ONLINE, AND FOUND MANY OTHERS WITH SAME PROBLEM. *AK

1) AT APPROXIMATELY 8000 MILES ON THE ODOMETER, MY YAMAHA FZ6 BEGAN EXHIBITING PERIODIC STALLING. WHEN UNDER NORMAL POWER, THE BIKE EXHIBITED A MODERATE LOSS OF POWER, WITH A COMPLETE ENGINE STALL ONCE THE CLUTCH WAS DISENGAGED (WHILE STOPPING IN TRAFFIC OR PARKING). THESE SYMPTOMS INCREASED IN FREQUENCY UNTIL IT WAS HAPPENING SEVERAL TIMES PER DAY. 2) THE CONSEQUENCES OF THE FAILURE WERE GENERALLY MINIMAL, WITH THE EXCEPTION OF STALLING IN STOP-AND-GO TRAFFIC. ON MORE THAN ONE OCCASION, THE STALLING PREVENTED ME FROM MOVING WHEN TRAFFIC AHEAD OF ME BEGAN MOVING, PLACING ME IN A VULNERABLE POSITION UNTIL THE IGNITION WAS CYCLED AND THE BIKE STARTED AGAIN. SIMPLY PRESSING THE START BUTTON WOULD NOT SUCCESSFULLY RESTART THE BIKE. 3) THE PROBLEM WAS CORRECTED BY THE DEALER REPLACING THE THROTTLE POSITION SENSOR (TPS). I HAD READ SEVERAL REPORTS OF OTHER FZ6 OWNERS CORRECTING THE PROBLEM BY REPLACING THE TPS, AND HAD A TPS FAULT CODE LOGGED IN THE COMPUTER. THE DEALER HAD NOT HEARD OF ANY ISSUE FROM YAMAHA AT THAT POINT, AND ATTEMPTED TO CLEAN AND RESEAT THE CONNECTIONS TO THE TPS FIRST. THE PROBLEM PERSISTED UNTIL REPLACEMENT OF THE TPS. THE OLD PART IS NOT AVAILABLE.

1-AVERAGE USAGE, 2-MOTORCYCLES WOULD STALL SPORADICALLY, RPMS WOULD VARY CONSIDERABLY, A LOT OF HESITATION, VARIABLE IDLING, BAD GAS CONSUMPTION. A FAILURE OF THE MOTORCYCLE TO CEASE THROTTLE OPERATIONS THROUGH MID-CORNER DURING A TURN WOULD INEVITABLY CAUSE THE MOTORCYCLE AND ITS RIDER TO LOSE TRACTION AT THE REAR WHEELS. FURTHER CONSEQUENCES WOULD BE DEATH TO THE RIDER IN EXTREME, BUT HIGHLY LIKELY CIRCUMSTANCES. 3-THERE WAS A DEFECTIVE THROTTLE POSITIONING SENSOR WITH THE 2004-2005 YAMAHA FZ6 MOTORCYCLES. YAMAHA HAS SO FAR FAILED TO ANNOUNCE A RECALL OF THIS DEFECTIVE EQUIPMENT WHICH CAN BE VERY DANGEROUS. QUITE A FEW FZ6 OWNERS HAVE NOTICED THIS FAILURE SO IT OBVIOUSLY IS NOT A 'ONE IN A MILLION' CONDITION. PLEASE HELP THE FZ6 COMMUNITY OUT BY ALLEVIATING THIS WORRY. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME.*AK