2004 Yamaha YZF-R1: complaints, problems and recalls
Explore the records behind recurring owner reports.
Key facts
37 owner complaints analyzed
1 distinct recall campaigns
5,850 mi median reported failure mileage
Scope: 2004 model year. Data snapshot: . 34 complaints include usable failure mileage.
Most common problems
Electrical System is the most frequently named component, appearing in 17 of 37 complaints (45.9%). A complaint can name multiple components.
| Topic | Matching reports | Share of complaints |
|---|---|---|
| Engine operation | 12 | 32.4% |
| Braking behavior | 3 | 8.1% |
| Electrical and battery issues | 3 | 8.1% |
| Fuel system concerns | 2 | 5.4% |
| Transmission and shifting | 1 | 2.7% |
Topic matches use published keyword rules. They describe mentions, including negations or comparisons, and do not confirm a diagnosis. Read the matching rules.
Component breakdown
Number of unique complaints naming each component. Top eight shown.
| Category | Count |
|---|---|
| Electrical System | 17 |
| Engine And Engine Cooling | 5 |
| Fuel System, Gasoline:Fuel Injection System | 4 |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 4 |
| Unknown Or Other | 3 |
| Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine | 2 |
| Electrical System:Ignition | 1 |
| Electrical System:Ignition:Module | 1 |
Electrical System: 17; Engine And Engine Cooling: 5; Fuel System, Gasoline:Fuel Injection System: 4; Vehicle Speed Control: 4; Unknown Or Other: 3; Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine: 2; Electrical System:Ignition: 1; Electrical System:Ignition:Module: 1
Reported problems by failure mileage
Complaint counts in mileage bands. These are not failure rates per vehicle or mile.
| Category | Count |
|---|---|
| Under 25,000 | 33 |
| 25,000 to 49,999 | 0 |
| 50,000 to 74,999 | 1 |
| 75,000 to 99,999 | 0 |
| 100,000 to 149,999 | 0 |
| 150,000 and above | 0 |
Under 25,000: 33; 25,000 to 49,999: 0; 50,000 to 74,999: 1; 75,000 to 99,999: 0; 100,000 to 149,999: 0; 150,000 and above: 0
Under 25,000 miles has the most reports with usable mileage (33). 3 complaints have missing, zero or invalid mileage.
Complaints over time
Year the complaint was filed, not the vehicle model year or incident year. The snapshot year is partial.
| Category | Count |
|---|---|
| 2004 | 2 |
| 2005 | 11 |
| 2006 | 20 |
| 2009 | 1 |
| 2015 | 2 |
| 2016 | 1 |
2004: 2; 2005: 11; 2006: 20; 2009: 1; 2015: 2; 2016: 1
Pattern summary
Electrical System leads the component reports. Engine operation appears in 12 complaint narratives. Braking behavior appears in 3 complaint narratives. Electrical and battery issues appears in 3 complaint narratives. Use these patterns to inspect individual reports and prepare questions for a mechanic.
Calculated from recorded counts. An AI narrative has not been published for this selection.
Examples from the source records
Examples provide context, not a representative sample or a verified diagnosis.
Owner report 10074123 · 2004-05-24 (May 24, 2004)
WHILE RIDING AT 70 MPH MOTORCYCLE LOST CONSIDERABLE POWER AND STARTED TICKING LOUDLY. CONSUMER EXAMINED THE MOTORCYCLE BUT COULD FIND THE CAUSE OF THE PROBLEM. DEALER INSPECTED THE VEHICLE AND FOUND THAT THE ENGINE BLEW OUT. THEN, CONSUMER DISCOVERED THAT BEFORE THE MOTORCYCLE WAS BOUGHT MOTOR BLEW OUT ONCE, AND WAS REPLACED. *AK
Owner-reported narrative. 360 miles reported. Look up ODI 10074123 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10075433 · 2004-06-15 (June 15, 2004)
I RECENTLY PURCHASED YAMAHA'S NEW 125 VINO SCOOTER AND AFTER ONLY 400 MILES AT RATED SPEED OF 50 MPH (FASTER THAN MOST SCOOTERS), WITH NORMAL DRIVING, I WAS THROWN AND HIT THE PAVEMENT MAKING DOG MEAT OF MY BODY. I SUSPECT THE SMALL FRONT TIRE DESIGN AT HIGH SPEEDS IS A DEATH TRAP. CAN SUPPLY MORE DETAILS.*AK
Owner-reported narrative. 1,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10075433 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10106091 · 2005-01-10 (January 10, 2005)
MY SON WAS RIDING A 2004 YAMAHA YZ250F MOTOCROSS MOTORCYCLE ON 1/7/05 WHEN ON HIS APPROACH TO A JUMP HIS MOTOR QUIT RUNNING. THE CARBURETOR POPPED OUT OF ITS MOUNTING [INTAKE BOOT]. THE CONSEQUENCE WAS THAT AS MY SON WAS COMMITTED TO CLEARING THE JUMP. THE YAMAHA LOST POWER, AND HE CRASHED INTO THE FACE OF THE LANDING HILL. AND BROKE HIS COLLARBONE ON IMPACT. AFTER I MADE SEVERAL INQUIRIES I WAS SURPRISED TO LEARN THAT THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH THIS MAKE AND MODEL OF MOTORCYCLE SINCE IT INTRODUCTION IN 2001. WHEN I CALLED YAMAHA CUSTOMER RE…
Owner-reported narrative. 100 miles reported. Look up ODI 10106091 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10115570 · 2005-04-27 (April 27, 2005)
WHILE DRIVING AT VARIOUS SPEEDS ENGINE STALLED. CONSUMER TOOK VEHICLE TO DEALER FOR INSPECTION SEVERAL TIMES, BUT THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE COULD NOT BE DETERMINED.*AK *BF *NM
Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10115570 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10135280 · 2005-09-04 (September 4, 2005)
(1) AROUND 5,000 MILES I NOTICED MY BIKE STARTED STALLING OUT AT 4,000 RPM OR LESS. (2) ENGINE WOULD IDLE REALLY LOW AND STALL OUT. BIKE WOULD USUALLY NOT START BACK UP RIGHT AWAY. LAST YEAR IN THE FALL I WAS IN A TURN AND MY BIKE STALLED OUT AND I LOSS CONTROL AND CRASHED. I INJURED MY RIGHT HAND, CHEST, RIGHT LEG AND HAD DAMAGE TO MY BIKE, CLOTHES AND HELMET. (3) I FOUND THAT I WASN'T THE ONLY PERSON HAVING THIS PROBLEM. THE DEALERSHIPS DENY HAVING A PROBLEM AND CLAIM I AM THE ONLY PERSON. THEY SAID THE CAN'T FIX SOMETHING IF THEY C…
Owner-reported narrative. 5,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10135280 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10135286 · 2005-09-04 (September 4, 2005)
I AM THE OWNER OF A YAMAHA R1 2004 MOTORCYCLE. AFTER 5000 MILES THE BIKE WILL DROP TO A LOW IDLE 500 RPM AND THEN SHUT DOWN. THIS IS VERY DANGEROUS, AND HAS CAUSED MANY CRASHES, AND INJURIES! I BELONG TO MANY FORUMS AND THIS IS HAPPENING ALL OVER THE WORLD TO 2004 YAMAHAS, IT IS THE LEFT TPS SENSOR! THIS NEEDS TO BE RECALLED BEFORE SOMEONE IS KILLED! JESSE ZIMMERMAN. *JB
Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10135286 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10135295 · 2005-09-04 (September 4, 2005)
I AM AN OWNER OF A 2004 YAMAHA R1 MOTORCYCLE. WHILE I WAS RIDING HOME MID DAY ON APRIL 11 2005 I NOTICED THE BIKE IDLING VERY LOW EVERY TIME I STOPPED. SO I WENT IN TO A PARKING AREA AND SHUT THE ENGINE OFF WITH THE IGNITION KEY AND WAITED FOR APPROXIMATELY 1 MINUTE. IT SEEMED TO WORK FINE SO I PRESSED ON HOME. BUT WHEN I WAS ON THE ROAD TAKING A LEFT HAND TURN AND I CAME TO THE APEX OF THE TURN THE BIKE SHUT OFF UPSETTING THE SUSPENSION AND CAUSING ME TO LOW SIDE (DROPPING THE BIKE ON THE SIDE THAT IT WAS LEANED AS I TURNED) I HAD NO MAJOR INJ…
Owner-reported narrative. 10,650 miles reported. Look up ODI 10135295 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10135344 · 2005-09-05 (September 5, 2005)
DEAR NHTSA: I AM WRITING THIS COMPLAINT IN REGARDS TO THE CONTINUOUS ENGINE FAILURE OF A YAMAHA MOTORCYCLE. SEVERAL WEEKS AGO, THE ENGINE STARTED HESITATING DURING A REGULAR RIDE AND WHEN THE THROTTLE WAS RELEASED IT WOULD NOT IDLE BUT STOP; THE ENGINE QUITS RUNNING EVEN WHEN SHIFTING GEARS, WHICH COULD LEAD TO A SERIOUS INJURY EVEN DEATH IF HAPPENS ON A CURVE. I TOOK THE VEHICLE TO A MECHANIC AND AFTER SEVERAL WEEKS OF TROUBLE SHOOTING AND DIAGNOSIS I WAS TOLD THAT THEY DIDN'T FIND WHAT WAS WRONG! THEN I SEARCHED THE INTERNET AND BECOME …
Owner-reported narrative. 5,700 miles reported. Look up ODI 10135344 at NHTSA ↗
Recall history
1 distinct campaigns affect this selection. Announcement dates below are different from vehicle model years. A campaign may cover multiple years.
06V371000 · Vehicle Speed Control
Reported: 2006-09-28 (September 28, 2006)
ON CERTAIN MOTORCYCLES, AN IMPROPERLY DESIGNED THROTTLE POSITION SENSOR COULD CAUSE AN INTERMITTENTLY UNSTABLE IDLE WHEN THE ENGINE IS AT IDLING SPEED WHEN THE MOTORCYCLE IS STOPPED OR DURING LOW-SPEED OPERATIONS. THE ENGINE COULD STALL AS A RESULT.
Consequence: IF THE ENGINE STALLS AFTER THE OPERATOR DISENGAGES THE CLUTCH IN A LOW GEAR WHILE RIDING, THE REAR TIRE MIGHT SLIP MOMENTARILY IF THE OPERATOR ABRUPTLY RE-ENGAGES THE CLUTCH. THIS COULD RESULT IN A CRASH WITH INJURY OR DEATH.
Remedy: DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE THROTTLE POSITION SENSOR FREE OF CHARGE. THE RECALL BEGAN ON OCTOBER 16, 2006. OWNERS MAY CONTACT YAMAHA AT 1-888-88-YAMAHA.
NHTSA campaign record ↗