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.

2006 VSTAR WITH 15,750 MILES. WHILE SLOWING DOWN AT APPX 45 MPH, METALLIC WHINING FROM TRANSMISSION STARTED. HAD NEVER HEARD THIS NOISE BEFORE. AFTER INITIAL INCIDENT, ANY TIME I DECELERATED OR DOWNSHIFTED, SAME NOISE WAS MADE. AS LONG AS I WAS ON THE ACCELERATOR, SEEMED RUN FINE. AS SOON AS I LET OFF THE GAS, GRINDING/WHINING STARTED. SPOKE WITH A DEALER, HAD NO CLUE WHAT I WAS DESCRIBING. SHOWED THEM A PAGE FROM THIS WEBSITE, SUDDENLY "HAD HEARD OF" BUT WERE UNFAMILIAR WITH THE PROBLEM. DECIDED THEY WOULD NEED TO TEAR DOWN TRANS TO SEE WHAT WAS GOING ON. WANTED $1,100 JUST TO DIAGNOSE. SAID IT MAY BE A $100 FIX OR $3K. SEEMS TO BE RELATED TO MIDDLE GEAR SHAFT NUT THAT HAS LOOSENED, BUT NOT BROKEN OFF YET.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 YAMAHA XVS1100. THE CONTACT STATED THAT A LOUD GRINDING NOISE WAS HEARD FROM THE REAR OF THE VEHICLE WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 50 MPH. THE MOTORCYCLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE DRIVESHAFT FAILED. THE DEALER REPLACED A FEW PARTS WITHIN THE DRIVESHAFT WITH NEW DESIGN PARTS; HOWEVER, THE CONTACT THE DID NOT HAVE THE NAME OF THE NEW DESIGN PARTS. THE MOTORCYCLE WAS REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 14,000.

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.

THE MIDDLE GEAR (CONNECTS TRANSMISSION TO DRIVE SHAFT ASSEMBLY) NUT BROKE AND WEDGED IN THE DRIVE COUPLER AND LOCKED UP THE REAR WHEEL AT 45 MPH GOING DOWN THE HIGHWAY. AFTER FINDING THE PROBLEM AND DOING RESEARCH I FOUND THAT THIS IS AN ON GOING PROBLEM WITH THIS MOTORCYCLE AND HAS BEEN FOR YEARS. THE REPAIR IS OVER $3295 WHICH CAN NOT BE GUARANTEED NOT TO HAPPEN AGAIN.

WHILE RIDING AT ABOUT 60 MPH, GOING UP A MOUNTAIN ROAD, MY MOTORCYCLE SUDDENLY MADE A HORRIBLE SOUND LIKE METAL PARTS GRINDING AND FLYING AROUND INSIDE MY ENGINE. I PULLED OVER AS FAST AS I COULD AND THE BACK TIRE LOCKED UP ON ME AS I DID SO - EVEN WHEN I APPLIED THE CLUTCH. I WAS FORTUNATE NOT TO SKID OUT OF CONTROL AS THE TRAFFIC THERE TRAVELS FAST AND THE ROAD IS A BIT TRECHEROUS. I HAD TO HAVE IT TOWED TO A SHOP.ONCE THEY HAD A CHANCE TO REVIEW THE PROBLEM THEY DISCOVERED THAT THE NUT ON THE MIDDLE DRIVE SHAFT WHERE THE U-JOINT ATTACHES HAD SHEARED OFF RUINING MY TRANSMISSION, SHAFT, ETC... I HAVE BEEN QUOTED AN ESTIMATE OF $3000 TO REPAIR THIS PROBLEM - WITH THE UNDERSTANDING THAT IT COULD JUST HAPPEN AGAIN ON THIS MODEL. WHEN I CALLED YAMAHA ABOUT IT, THEY SAID THERE WERE NO REPORTED ISSUES LIKE THIS ON THAT MODEL. THEY SAID THAT THIS WAS NOT A COMMON PROBLEM. WHEN I INFORMED HER IN THAT IN 5 MINUTES OF LOOKING ON THE INTERNET, I FOUND LITERALLY DOZENS OF PEOPLE COMPLAINING ABOUT THIS EXACT PROBLEM SHE SAID, 'PLEASE HOLD.' I WAITED OVER 20 MINUTES AND SHE NEVER RETURNED. WHEN I CALLED BACK THEY JUST SAID, "SORRY, NO RECALLS ON THIS MODEL AND WOULD NOT HELP FURTHER." *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 (NA) YAMAHA XVS1100 MOTORCYCLE. WHILE RIDING 70 MPH, THE CONTACT APPLIED THE BRAKES TO AVOID A SCHOOL BUS. THE FRONT SUSPENSION WAS NOT STRONG ENOUGH TO SUPPORT THE CONTACT'S WEIGHT AND HE WAS THROWN 80 FEET IN THE AIR. THE CONTACT SUSTAINED MINOR INJURIES AND RECEIVED MEDICAL ATTENTION. A POLICE REPORT WAS NOT FILED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER, BUT WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 12,000.