2014 YAMAHA FZ09 Problems & Complaints

THIS IS THE SECOND STOCK CAM CHAIN TENSIONER REPLACEMENT THAT I HAVE HAD DONE ON THIS BIKE. THE REPAIR WAS DONE BY MALCOLM SMITH MOTORSPORTS IN RIVERSIDE CA. THE CCT FAILS. RESULTING IN A LOSE CAM CHAIN, CAUSING A LOT OF NOISE. IF THE CAM CHAIN SKIPS A TOOTH, IT CAN CAUSE CATASTROPHIC ENGINE FAILURE RESULTING IN AN ACCIDENT, INJURY OR DEATH. THE NOISE COMES FROM THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE ENGINE. IT IS REALLY LOUD AT START UP AND AT IDLE SPEED.

WHILE RIDING APPROXIMATELY 60MPH IN TRAFFIC, JUST PULLED AHEAD OF SOME VEHICLES, AND THE ENGINE STARTED TO LOSE POWER, SHUDDER, AND THEN IT MADE A LOUD SCREETCHING SOUND, AND LOCKED UP THE REAR TIRE WHEN THE ENGINE DIED. I PULLED IN THE CLUTCH, RELEASING THE REAR TIRE, AND THE ENGINE WAS STILL DEAD. TRIED THE STARTER, NOTHING. DOWNSHIFTED AS THE BIKE COASTED SLOWER INTO 3RD GEAR, AND SLOWLY LET OUT THE CLUTCH, AND IT "BUMP STARTED" THE ENGINE, BUT NOW IT WAS MAKING A MASSIVE TICK TICK TICK TICK TICK NOISE. (MUCH LOUDER THAN THE OTHER MINOR TICK NOISES I'D HEARD, MAINLY WHEN IT WAS COLD, RIGHT AFTER START UP BEFORE.) I VERLY SLOWLY AND AT LOW RPM MADE IT TO WORK, AND THEN SLOWLY AT LOW RPM MADE IT HOME ON THE BIKE, BUT THE ENTIRE TIME, IT IS MAKING A LOUD TICK TICK TICK TICK NOISE. I TRIED A COMMON FIX, OF USING A LONGER SET SCREW, ADJUSTED FINGER TIGHT, TO KEEP THE "AUTOMATIC" CAM CHAIN TENSIONER FROM BACKING OFF, AND MAKING THE LOUD TICK TICK TICK TICK NOISE. THIS SEEMED TO FIX THE BIKE. I RODE TO WORK AGAIN THE NEXT MORNING, AND BAM, JUST ABOUT THE SAME PLACE, ABOUT 65MPH THIS TIME, AFTER PASSING SLOWER TRAFFIC, AND GETTING INTO THE CLEAR, THE BIKE SHUDDERED AND THEN EVEN LOUDER THAN BEFORE, THE ENGINE LOCKED UP, SLIDING THE REAR TIRE. I PULLED IN THE CLUTCH, AND IT RELEASED, AND I WAS NEARLY RUN OVER BY THE TRAFFIC BEHIND ME THAT I'D JUST PASSED. THIS IS NO LONGER JUST AN ISSUE OF NOISE< NOW IT"S PUTTING MY LIFE IN DANGER. LET ME REPEAT: THIS TIMING CHAIN NOISE HAS GONE FROM ANNOYING, TO LIFE THREATENING DUE TO ENGINE SIEZE UP AT SPEED NOW MULTIPLE TIMES. PLEASE FORCE YAMAHA TO STEP UP, REPLACE THIS FAULTY AND LIFE THREATENING DESIGN FLAW IMMEDIATELY.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2014 YAMAHA FZ09. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE TIMING TENSIONER ON THE VEHICLE HAD TO BE REPAIRED TWICE. EACH TIME THE MOTORCYCLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER, THE TENSIONER WAS TIGHTENED; HOWEVER, THE REMEDY FAILED TO REPAIR THE FAILURE. THE MANUFACTURER STATED THAT THE FAILURE WAS RELATED TO AN UNKNOWN MANUFACTURER RECALL. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS UNKNOWN.

EVER SINCE DAY 1 IT NEVER LIKES TO COLD START ON THE FIRST TRY. STARTS TO CATCH BUT NEVER DOES UNTIL YOU TRY A SECOND TIME. AFTER STARTING, YOU HEAR A LOUD TICK/FLUTTER , I'M GUESSING THE WHOLE CAM CHAIN TENSIONER ISSUE THAT SEEMS TO BE PLAGUING EVERYONE. I JUST RECEIVED THE RECALL FOR THE HEADLIGHT HARNESS TOO SHORT. *TR

AFTER ONLY 7000 MILES THE CLUTCH BASKET CRACKED, BROKE, AND DEFECTED IN SPECTACULAR FASHION. THIS CAUSED THE GEARS TO SLIP, MORE DAMAGE TO BE DONE INTERNAL TO THE CLUTCH SYSTEM AND GREAT COST. THE PROBLEM WAS NOTED WHILE DRIVING. DURING ACCELERATION, THE MOTORCYCLE'S ENGINE WOULD REV THROUGH THE GEAR BUT NO ACCELERATION WAS EXPERIENCED. THIS CAUSED AN ALARMING CAUTION AS ATTEMPTING TO PASS VEHICLES, ACCELERATE THROUGH INTERSECTIONS, AND OTHERWISE MAINTAIN SPEEDS VERY DIFFICULT AND DIFFICULT TO DETERMINE PROPER AVOIDANCE OF SITUATIONS. TYPICALLY, A RIDER LIKE MYSELF CAN DETERMINE PROPER ACCELERATION AND TIMING TO AVOID THINGS LIKE OTHER VEHICLES, ROAD CONDITIONS, OR DANGEROUS SITUATIONS BUT ACCELERATING THROUGH, AROUND, OR AWAY FROM THEM. THIS WAS NEARLY IMPOSSIBLE DUE TO THIS BREAKAGE OF A NON-NORMAL WEARING PART.

AT INITIAL COLD START AND UNDER LOAD BETWEEN 3000-4000 RPM THERE IS A NOTICEABLE RATTLE/TICK FROM THE RIGHT SIDE OF ENGINE AT THE CAM CHAIN TENSIONER. UPON FURTHER INSPECTION IT SEEMS THE TENSIONER DOES NOT HOLD TENSION WHICH CAN LEAD TO PREMATURE WEAR, BREAKAGE, OR ENGINE FAILURE. FOLLOWING YAMAHA PROCEDURE FOR CAM CHAIN TENSION ADJUSTMENT PROVES THAT THE TENSIONER IS MALFUNCTIONING BY WATCHING THE HEX KEY TOOL BACK OFF (LOOSEN) AFTER MAKING ADJUSTMENT AND EVENTUALLY CAUSING RATTLE/TICK AGAIN. CONTACTING YAMAHA DEALERSHIP ALSO CONFIRMED ISSUE, BEING INFORMED THAT THERE HAVE BEEN MULTIPLE REVISIONS MADE (UPDATED PARTS) BUT STILL NO CONFIRMATION ON PERMANENT FIX. *TR

CAMSHAFT CHAIN TENSIONER BECOMES LOOSE, EXCEPTIONALLY LOOSE INCREASING THE CHANCE FOR ENGINE TIMING TO JUMP, SLIP, OR FOR THE CAMSHAFT CHAIN TO BREAK WHILE IN MOTION LEADING TO OR ACCELERATING ENGINE DAMAGE AND WEAR. *TR

CAMPAIGN 014-550 "WIRE HARNESS TOO SHORT". "DEALER TO INSTALL JUMPER HARNESS". THIS WORK WAS PERFORMED BUT I HAVE AN INTERMITTENT HEADLIGHT ISSUE. DEALER & YAMAHA STATE "THEY CAN DO NOTHING UNLESS THE HEADLIGHT IS OUT WHEN THEY HAVE THE VEHICLE". I AM LEFT TO RIDE THIS BIKE WITH A HEADLIGHT THAT MAY OR MAY NOT OPERATE? UNACCEPTABLE TO ME. DEALER HAS HAD THE VEHICLE FOR 2 WEEKS AND NOW IS TELLING ME "I CAN COME PICK IT UP".

FRONT BRAKE LOCKED UP AND APPLYING ALSO CAUSED BRAKE LEVER TO GO ALL THE WAY TO THE HANDLE BAR WHEN GOING OUT FOR FIRST RIDE THIS YEAR.

I WANNA SAY I LOVE THIS BIKE AND WILL CONTINUE DRIVING AND TRYING TO FIX IT.MY 2014 FZ09 HAS 5000 MILES ON IT AND WHEN I DOWN SHIFT IN TRAFFIC OR ANYWHERE THE BIKE DIES THE TIRE WILL SOMETIMES LOCK UP IF I DON'T CATCH THE PROBLEM IN TIME.. I'M TRYING TO GET OTHERS THAT ARE ON THE FZ FORUMS TO SHARE THERE SAME COMPLAINTS.. THIS IS A SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUE AS IT WILL LITERALLY JUST CUT OFF NO POWER POOF.. AND A REALLY BAD NOISE AND VIBRATION AROUND 3100 TO 4000 RPMS MAKES YOU FEEL LIKE THE TRANSMISSION IS FALLING APART.. OTHER THAN THAT I LOVE THE BIKE AND HOPE THE ISSUES GET FIXED AS THIS WILL BE 2017 THE NEXT GEN

RIDING ON THE FREEWAY WHILE LANE SPLITTING 45 MPH DOWN SHIFTING FROM 4TH TO 3RD GEAR SLOWING DOWN PROCESS. PRESSING CLUTCH ENGINE STALLED, DOWN SHIFTED TO 3RD GEAR. ENGINE STARTED ONCE I LET GO OF THE CLUTCH IN 3RD GEAR. FRONT END LIFTED ABOUT FOOT. *TR

DRIVING ACROSS THE INTERSTATE10 SALT RIVER BRIDGE IN PHOENIX AZ, THERE IS A DIP AT ONE OF THE BRIDGE EXPANSION JOINTS. IT IS NOT A VERY SEVERE DIP BUT THE REAR SUSPENSION ON THIS NEW MOTORCYCLE BOUNCED VIOLENTLY 5 TIMES AFTER THIS DIP. THERE IS AN ADJUSTMENT SCREW TO INCREASE THE DAMPING AND I TURNED IT TO THE MAXIMUM VALUE, BOTH FRONT AND REAR, THIS REDUCED THE AMOUNT OF POST BUMP BOUNCING TO AROUND 2 TIMES. THIS IS INADEQUATE SUSPENSION DAMPING AND I BELIEVE IT COULD BE A HAZARD, ESPECIALLY IF IT HAPPENS IN A TURN, WITH AN INEXPERIENCED RIDER. I AM BUYING A DIFFERENT REAR SHOCK FOR THIS MOTORCYCLE, BUT NOT EVERYBODY HAS THAT ABILITY AND A NEW REAR SHOCK IS NOT CHEAP OR EASY TO INSTALL. I AM ALSO CHANGING THE FRONT FORK OIL TO A HIGHER VISCOSITY, TO STOP THE FRONT END FROM OVER RE-BOUNDING. AT THE VERY MINIMUM, I RECOMMEND THAT ALL NEW MOTORCYCLES SHOULD LEAVE THE DEALERSHIPS WITH THE SUSPENSION ADJUSTERS SET TO MAXIMUM VALUE, FRONT AND REAR TO REDUCE THIS PROBLEM. *TR