2007 Yamaha FJR1300 problems and owner complaints

ALTITUDE-RELATED STALLING AND SURGING. WHEN INCREASING ELEVATION BY APPROX 1500 FEET OR MORE, BIKE WILL STALL COMING OUT OF CORNERS OR AT LOW LOADS WHEN APPLYING THROTTLE BELOW 3500 RPMS. INCREASING THROTTLE OPENING DOES NOTHING FOR APPROX 2-3 SECONDS AND THEN MOTOR SUDDENLY SURGES. VERY DANGEROUS IN TRAFFIC OR SLICK PAVEMENT SITUATIONS. PROBLEM APPEARS TO GO AWAY WHEN MOTOR IS SHUT OFF AND TURNED BACK ON AGAIN. PROBLEM PROGRESSIVELY RETURNS WHEN ELEVATION INCREASES, BECOMING UNDRIVABLE UNTIL ANOTHER SHUT-OFF. TOOK BIKE TO DEALER WITH COM…

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10195026 at NHTSA ↗

SEVERE ENGINE SURGING AND COMPLETE LOSS OF POWER WHEN RIDING THROUGH VARYING ALTITUDES. BIKE ACTS LIKE IT'S RUNNING OUT OF GAS AND LOSES ALL POWER FOR 1-3 SECONDS THEN POWER COMES ON SUDDENLY ALMOST LIKE WOW. VERY DANGEROUS WHEN IT OCCURS IN CORNERS AS IT'S COMPLETELY UNPREDICTABLE TO THE POINT WHERE THE MOTORCYCLE IS NOT OPERABLE. *TR

Owner-reported narrative. 260 miles reported. Look up ODI 10195028 at NHTSA ↗

I WAS DRIVING THE MOTORCYCLE WHEN IT HAD A TOTAL ELECTRICAL FAILURE, THE ENGINE SHUT OFF, AND I HAD TO COAST TO A STOP IN THE MEDIAN. THERE WAS NO LIGHTS OF ANY KIND AND NO REACTION TO THE IGNITION SWITCH OR STARTER BUTTON. I WAS ABLE TO GET POWER BACK BY MOVING THE HANDLEBARS ALL THE WAY TO THE LEFT. I WENT ANOTHER 3 BLOCKS AND IT DIED AGAIN. I DID THE HANDLEBAR MOTION AGAIN AND POWER CAME BACK. IT DIED IN ANOTHER 3 BLOCKS AND I WAS ABLE TO PUSH IT HOME. I REMOVED THE IGNITION SWITCH/KEY MECHANISM AND DISASSEMBLED IT, AND THE RED WIRE HAD P…

Owner-reported narrative. 7,336 miles reported. Look up ODI 10234734 at NHTSA ↗

IGNITION SWITCH FAILURE. WHILE PULLING AWAY FROM A STOP LIGHT, THE MOTORCYCLE SUFFERED A COMPLETE ELECTRICAL FAILURE. THIS CAUSED THE ENGINE AND ALL ACCESSORIES, INCLUDING ALL LIGHTS, TO FAIL, NEARLY RESULTING IN A REAR END COLLISION. MOVING THE WIRE HARNESS AT THE BACK OF THE IGNITION SWITCH CAUSES THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM TO FLICKER ON AND OFF. *TR

Owner-reported narrative. 15,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10237206 at NHTSA ↗

WHILE RIDING THROUGH CHANGING ELEVATIONS, THE MOTORCYCLE EXPERIENCES AN EVER-INCREASING DELAY OF THROTTLE RESPONSE AFTER ENGINE BRAKING. THE SUDDEN DELIVERY OF FUEL TO THE ENGINE CAUSES UNSAFE HANDLING CHARACTERISTICS. IT ACTS AS IF IT IS OUT OF GAS WHILE TRYING TO ACCELERATE BELOW 4000 RPMS, THEN GETS AN UNEXPECTED DELIVERY OF POWER. THIS HAPPENED VIRTUALLY EVERY TIME I TRIED TO PREPARE FOR A CORNERING MANEUVER. *TR

Owner-reported narrative. 1,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10195204 at NHTSA ↗

WHEN INITIALLY SHIFTING INTO FIRST GEAR A LOUD CLUNK IS HEARD IN THE TRANSMISSION AND THE BIKE WILL LURCH FORWARD AND TAKE OFF OR IF THE BRAKE IS APPLY THE ENGINE WILL STALL. THEN THE CLUTCH BREAKS LOOSE AND YOU CAN DRIVE AWAY. THE BIKE WILL UPSHIFT HARD AND SHIFT TIMING IS CRITICAL. THEN WHEN YOU APPROACH AN INTERSECTION AND NEED TO DOWN SHIFT YOU NEED TO USE THE BRAKES TO BREAK LOOSE THE CLUTCH. AFTER SEVERAL MILES IT WARMS UP AND BECOMES LESS STICKY. THE CLUTCH WILL DISENGAGE AFTER A FEW SECONDS AND THEN YOU CAN SHIFT. IF YOU DON'T US…

Owner-reported narrative. 500 miles reported. Look up ODI 10216565 at NHTSA ↗

WHEN THE ENGINE IS DECELERATING OR BRAKING FUEL IS TURNED OFF AND WHEN TRYING TO ACCELERATE AGAIN THERE IS A DELAY IN FUEL DELIVERY. WHEN TRYING TO ENTER A HIGHWAY FROM THE RAMP YOU DECELERATE TO TIME YOUR ENTRANCE AND WHEN YOU ACCELERATE THE MOTORCYCLE PAUSES THEN LURCHES FORWARD EFFECTING YOUR MERGE INTO SPEEDING TRAFFIC. THIS ALSO HAPPENS TO A SMALLER DEGREE ON EACH SHIFT OF THE TRANSMISSION. IT APPEARS THAT AN AIR PRESSURE SENSOR IN THE INTAKE MANIFOLD PREVENTS THE FLOW OF FUEL DURING INCREASED VACUUM AND THAT THE FUEL IS NOT TURNED ON A…

Owner-reported narrative. 3,450 miles reported. Look up ODI 10236964 at NHTSA ↗

THE VEHICLE, A 2007 YAMAHA FJR1300 MOTORCYCLE, INSTANTLY LOST ALL POWER, THE ENGINE QUIT AND ELECTRICAL SYSTEMS WENT DEAD, LEAVING ME WITH NO WAY TO SIGNAL MY NEED TO MOVE OFF OF THE ROADWAY IMMEDIATELY. WITHIN THE FIVE MINUTES PRIOR TO THIS, THE ENGINE SPUTTERED TWICE, MOMENTARILY. THE PROBLEM WAS DIAGNOSED AS A CORRODED ELECTRICAL CONNECTION UNDER THE FRONT LEFT OF THE FUEL TANK AND WAS REPLACED. THE PROBLEM WAS DIAGNOSED WITH HELP FROM POSTS ON FJRFORUM.COM CONTAINING NUMEROUS REPORTS OF SIMILAR OCCURRENCES. *TR

Owner-reported narrative. 38,600 miles reported. Look up ODI 10360312 at NHTSA ↗

I WAS RIDING HOME FROM WORK IN THE DARK ON MY 2007 YAMAHA FJR1300 MOTORCYCLE ON A UNLIT, CURVY, RURAL ROAD WHEN BOTH MY HEADLIGHTS SUDDENLY DIED. ALTHOUGH I WAS ABLE TO AVOID CRASHING, THIS IS A HUGE SAFETY CONCERN. I AM A 30 YEAR EXPERIENCED AUTO/MOTORCYCLE MECHANIC AND CERTIFIED AS AN AIRCRAFT MECHANIC, SO I TROUBLESHOT AND FOUND THE HEADLIGHT FAILURE WAS CAUSED BY AN OVERHEATED/BURNED GROUNDING CONNECTOR LOCATED IN THE WIRING HARNESS ABOVE THE LEFT HEADLIGHT SHELL (BURNT CONNECTOR AND/OR PHOTO AVAILABLE ON REQUEST). BECAUSE THE CONNECTOR …

Owner-reported narrative. 32,328 miles reported. Look up ODI 10413801 at NHTSA ↗

THIS IS A YAMAHA MOTORCYCLE. IT HAS A BLOWN FORK SEAL, WHICH IS A PRETTY COMMON OCCURRENCE. THIS IS IN THE FRONT SUSPENSION AND STEERING. THERE ARE 2 SPECIAL TOOLS NECESSARY TO REPAIR THIS, ACCORDING TO THE FACTORY SERVICE MANUAL. NEITHER OF THESE SPECIAL TOOLS ARE AVAILABLE FROM YAMAHA. THERE ARE NO SUBSTITUTES AVAILABLE EITHER, ACCORDING TO 3 SEPARATE DEALERS AND THE CORPORATE HQ IN CALIFORNIA. THIS IS QUITE A SAFETY RISK, AS I CANNOT PROPERLY REPAIR THE SUSPENSION, AND THIS WILL AFFECT THE STABILITY/CONTROLLABILITY OF THE BIKE. IT …

Owner-reported narrative. 28,127 miles reported. Look up ODI 10492134 at NHTSA ↗