2006 Yamaha XVS1100

The contact owns a 2006 Yamaha XVS1100 Motorcycle. The contact stated that while riding approximately 60 MPH, there was a loud whining sound coming from the rear of the motorcycle. The contact stated that moments later the rear wheel locked up and the motorcycle became inoperable. The motorcycle was towed to the local dealer who diagnosed that the mid driveshaft within the transmission had fractured and the engine needed to be replaced. The motorcycle was not yet repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but no assistance was offered. The failure mileage was 24,000.

YAMAHA V-STAR 1100 MIDDLE DRIVE SHAFT ENGINEERING DEFECT LAST SEPTEMBER, I ACCELERATED FROM A STOP TO A SPEED OF APPROXIMATELY 5MPH. I HEARD A LOUD CLUNK, AND LOST ALL POWER TO MY REAR WHEEL. I PUSHED MY BIKE TO A NEARBY REPAIR SHOP, WHO REPORTED THAT THE MIDDLE DRIVE SHAFT NUT HAD BECOME LOOSE , WHICH CAUSED THE SHAFT TO SHEAR COMPLETELY OFF, IN TURN CAUSING IRREPARABLE DAMAGE TO THE GEAR AND THE MIDDLE DRIVE SHAFT. IN ORDER TO REPAIR THIS ISSUE, THE ENGINE CASE WOULD HAVE TO BE SPLIT TO GET TO THE BROKEN ITEM AND REPLACE IT. AFTER SOME AMOUNT OF RESEARCH I FOUND THAT MANY PEOPLE ARE HAVING THE SAME EXACT PROBLEM WITH THE MIDDLE DRIVE SHAFT. AFTER GETTING THE REPAIRS APPRAISED AT APPROXIMATELY $2200, I CONTACTED YAMAHA AFTER FILING AN EARLIER REPORT WITH THE NHTSA AND WAS TOLD THAT THIS WAS NOT A REPORTED PROBLEM AND THEY WOULD NOT ISSUE A RECALL OR FIX THE DEFECT. IF THIS PROBLEM HAD OCCURRED WHILE DRIVING AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS, I WOULD HAVE LOST CONTROL OF THE MOTORCYCLE AND LIKELY BEEN INJURED OR KILLED AS A RESULT.

I HAD JUST STARTED OUT FROM A STOP, SHIFTED TO SECOND GEAR WHEN THE BIKE STARTED TO CLATTER. AS I HAD BEEN STOPPED AT THE LOCAL MOTORCYCLE REPAIR SHOP, I RETURNED THERE AND LEFT THE MOTORCYCLE. THE NEXT DAY I CALLED THE SHOP AND HAD THE MECHANIC CHECK THE BIKE OUT. HE TOLD ME THAT THE MIDDLE DRIVE SHAFT HAD COME APART. UPON FURTHER INSPECTION IT WAS FOUND THE SHAFT HAD BROKEN BEHIND THE RETAING NUT FOR THE UNIVERSAL JOINT. THIS PROBLEM HAS BEEN REPORTED ON SEVERAL YEAR MODEL'S OF THIS MOTORCYCLE (YAMAHA V-STAR-1100) COMPLAINT'S TO NHTSA. SEVERAL REPORTS OF REAR WHEEL LOCKING UP WHEN THIS HAPPENS HAVE BEEN SUBMITED. THERE IS ONE REPORT ON 04/24/2006 OF A PERSON HAVING THE SAME PROBLEM WHERE THE REAR WHEEL HAD LOCKED UP PRIOR TO A CRASH IN WHICH SHE WAS REAR-ENDED AND KILLED. IT IS UNKNKWN IF THE REAR WHEEL LOCKING UP BECAUSE OF A BROKEN MIDDLE SHAFT CAUSED THIS ACCIDENT, BUT I WOULD BE SUSPECT OF THIS. I HAVE BEEN IN CONTACT WITH YAMAHA, AND THEY HAV NOT ISSUED A RECALL FOR THIS BUT THEY HAVE CHANGED THE MANFACTURE OF THIS PART, WHICH WOULD INDICATE THAT THEY WERE AWARE FO A PROBLEM. AS THE COST OF REPAIR FOR THIS DEFECTIVE PART IS IN THE RANGE OF $2500.00 TO $3500.00 AND THE POTENTIAL FOR SEVERE INJURY OR DEATH FROM THE PART FAILURE, THE COMPANY SHOULD RECALL AND REPLACE THIS ON ALL MODELS AFFECTED BY IT. *TR