IllustrationREAR AXLE HUB BROKE OFF WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 5 TO 10 MPH, CAUSING THE MOTORCYCLE TO HIT THE REAR END OF ANOTHER VEHICLE. *AK
2001 Yamaha XVS650
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
Limited comparison data
There is not enough comparable history to draw a useful model-year comparison.
About this comparison →How this year compares
Owner complaints by model year
Compare all XVS650 years →Counts vary with age, sales and reporting. They are not failure rates.
What owners reported most
Tap a category to read its complaints. One report may name several components.
When problems were reported
Mileage at the reported incident
Limited mileage data: 5 of 8 reports include usable mileage. There isn’t enough coverage to show a useful chart.
NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.
What to inspect
Issues worth paying extra attention to based on owner reports.
- Power Train. Review the 3 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Wheels. Review the 2 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Seats. Review the 1 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
2 crash reports0 fire reports2 injury reports
Power Train complaints
3 reportsI HAVE A 2001 YAMAHA V-STAR 650 CLASSIC MOTORCYCLE. OVER TIME I BEGAN TO HEAR A "MAJOR" HOWL COMING FROM THE ENGINE AREA. YAMAHA CLAIMED THEY HAD NO INFO. ON ANY HOWL PROBLEM!! LATER, ON THE YAMAHA V-STAR FORUM, I LEARNED THAT THERE WAS A BATCH OF 5TH GEARS FOR THE TRANSMISSION, THAT WERE NOT HEAT TREATED CORRECTLY. AS THE GE…
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I HAVE A 2001 YAMAHA V-STAR 650 CLASSIC MOTORCYCLE. OVER TIME I BEGAN TO HEAR A "MAJOR" HOWL COMING FROM THE ENGINE AREA. YAMAHA CLAIMED THEY HAD NO INFO. ON ANY HOWL PROBLEM!! LATER, ON THE YAMAHA V-STAR FORUM, I LEARNED THAT THERE WAS A BATCH OF 5TH GEARS FOR THE TRANSMISSION, THAT WERE NOT HEAT TREATED CORRECTLY. AS THE GEARS GOT OLDER... THE HOWL BEGAN. MANY FOLKS WERE FORCED TO HAVE THE REPAIRS DONE AT THEIR OWN EXPENSE BECAUSE THEY DIDN'T KNOW ABOUT THE MFG. DEFECT!!! AFTER THE DEFECT WAS UNCOVERED... YAMAHA STILL WOULD ONLY PAY FOR THE "PARTS" !! PARTS ARE WORTH MAYBE $100... COMPARED TO THE TOTAL BILL OF $1,500 OR MORE. I ALSO HAD TO HAVE MY TRANSMISSION REBUILT, SO PLEASE ADD ME TO YOUR LIST OF COMPLAINTS ON THIS PROBLEM. THE SAD PART IS THAT YAMAHA STILL REFUSES TO ADMIT ANYTHING!!! MANY PEOPLE ARE PAYING LARGE REPAIR BILLS BECAUSE THEY DON'T KNOW ABOUT THE PROBLEM. THANK YOU FOR YOUR HELP IN THIS MATTER. WAYNE CORNELL. *JB
FIFTH GEAR HAD TO BE REPLACED ON MY 2001 YAMAHA V STAR 650 CLASSIC MOTORCYCLE AT 7000 MILES. WHILE CRUISING IN FIFTH GEAR YOU WOULD HEAR A LOUD CHATTERING SOUND COMING FROM BENEATH THE BIKE. THE DEALER WHO DID THE REPAIR STATED THAT THE GEAR AND THE DRIVE GEAR WERE DEFORMED AS IF SOMETHING HAD RAN THROUGH THEM. THERE WAS NEVER A…
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FIFTH GEAR HAD TO BE REPLACED ON MY 2001 YAMAHA V STAR 650 CLASSIC MOTORCYCLE AT 7000 MILES. WHILE CRUISING IN FIFTH GEAR YOU WOULD HEAR A LOUD CHATTERING SOUND COMING FROM BENEATH THE BIKE. THE DEALER WHO DID THE REPAIR STATED THAT THE GEAR AND THE DRIVE GEAR WERE DEFORMED AS IF SOMETHING HAD RAN THROUGH THEM. THERE WAS NEVER AN ACCIDENT BUT THE DEALER WARNED ME THAT IT COULD LOCK UP. COST OF REPAIR 545.00. *AK
Official recalls
0No recalls in this snapshot.
Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗
NHTSA investigations
0No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.