Altitude surging on 07 fix

[FrickinJoyRide]

Just a side note. All I asked Yamaha to do was take my bike back and exchange it for an '08, since according to them the problem is solved on the new model.

There reply: Management is willing to take their chances in court on this issue, we will not buy back your bike :assassin: . Wait for the fix. That's why I'm done! What more else can you do. :angry:

 

[Taff]

Greetings,

Firstly, I have just joined this forum today, having learnt many things about my FJR from all the forum members, so thanks to you all!

I would like to add some comments with regard to the altitude surging.

When I purchased the FJR back in May of this year (after being hit by a cager) I learnt of this issue from this board. Off to the nearest pass I go, for some testing.

Intially I did not have a problem at 4200 feet AMSL, but a couple of weeks ago the problem reared it's ugly head on a trip to Many glacier park in Montana.

So, as a collective response to all the forum members that have suggested ways to get Yamaha to deal with this issue here is my 2 cents (FWIW).

Before the FJR I had in my stable another "steed", one that I had saved up for for 2 years. Due to a "gag" order that I had to sign (through my lawyer) I cannot say who the manufacturer was. I called the Company concerned and asked them to purchase the bike back from me (all done in the best possible taste you know) in a manner that was both friendly and polite.

Three days later I received a call back from this Company stating that they were not going to comply with my request. Again, I asked to speak with a person "higher up" but was duly informed that this was as far as I could go. Upon asking a second time about purchasing the bike back I was told very firmly "no"!

Well what could I do but seek legal advice and employed a great lawyer, who then went to work for me. During this brief period I had asked my lawyer to ask this Company to supply "us" with a complete detailed list of the defects that this model had. Within about a month the whole sordid affair was settled "out of Court"!

What I am trying to convey is this; Give Yamaha some facts in a form of a written letter via this forum etc, see how this goes. Be polite, firm and respond in a positive manner.

Advise Yamaha that this problem has been know for quite a few months and then if the response is such that nothing is seen to be done then take the route I had to go through.

Believe me, I did not want to part with that "steed" but for me I found that the FJR has exceeded the other bike in all areas of operation.

I am one happy rider to have such a great machine, now let us hope for a fix ASAP.

Thanks to one and all for taking the time to read this post.

Ride safe!

 

[TruWrecks]

I do have the member names for 61 reported surgers. I have VIN information for 44 of those members. I will add the real names of the users to my spreadsheet if you want to send me a Private Message with it. I can use my spreadsheet as a "customer impact" survey and send it with the letter. We also have most of the information for a formal letter in the sticky for this section.

 

[Bob Hughes]

Just a side note. All I asked Yamaha to do was take my bike back and exchange it for an '08, since according to them the problem is solved on the new model.
There reply: Management is willing to take their chances in court on this issue, we will not buy back your bike :assassin: . Wait for the fix. That's why I'm done! What more else can you do. :angry:

It sounds the this issue is over and now we just need to wait for Yamaha to manufacture enough parts and put them in place with the dealers to fix the bikes.

 

[CALSI]

I do have the member names for 61 reported surgers. I have VIN information for 44 of those members. I will add the real names of the users to my spreadsheet if you want to send me a Private Message with it. I can use my spreadsheet as a "customer impact" survey and send it with the letter. We also have most of the information for a formal letter in the sticky for this section.

I just received a survey from Yamaha Customer Service asking if the problem (surging) has been fixed. I indicated no and that I was waiting for the recall. So those of you that have contacted Yamaha Tech Service be on the look out. It was a few months ago when I actually sent a cert. letter to Yamaha.

Karen

If you need additional info from me please PM me.

 

[ELP_JC]

Talked to the dealership owner yesterday. He was nice, and said he'd let the Yamaha 'contact person' on his headquarters handle my issue, and he'd get back with me soon. I'll wait a week for his response before going forward with an NHTSA complaint, but am ready to send that letter at any time. I'm convinced Mr. Nice (as of waiting forever) won't accomplish a darn thing.

Hey, owner gave me their internal brochure (Sales Pro Newsletter -new 2008 model intro) and doesn't sound like good news to us for the '08 FJR. Here's what is says, and I quote:

'For 2008 the FJR1300A gets new ABS system, new scratch-resistant hard windshield coating, a new windshield bracket design, and new grips'. The AE adds 'new clutch and transmission design, and refined electric-shift lever design for even more convenience'.

However, the R1 and R6 specifically mentioned 'flawless response under all conditions', and the RoadStar 'flawless fuel delivery at all altitudes and in nearly any condition'.

I can't imagine Yamaha not fixing the '08 FJRs, but they either don't want to make the problem 'public' with their dealers, OR they didn't fix it. This publication has 'holdback' info on some models, info on seminars available, tech training, sales tactics, etc., so it seems 'private' enough to mention what we're talking about. We'll have to wait for a forum member to ride an '08 under conditions where our '07s would surge for sure, and post results before we pursue an '08 swap as an option. I mentioned that to my dealer in case this doesn't get resolved by January, and he said okay, but was probably thinking I'd just trade in and pay him more money, which AIN'T going to happen.

I vote for ALL of us sending an indivudual letter, PLUS sending a unified letter (via Truwrecks), PLUS filing a complaint with the NHTSA for the ones who haven't done it yet (including me). A magazine or two mentioning the issue would inform the tons of owners who don't read forums of the problem as well. Let's keep it up folks. Later.

JC

 

[timalan]

I do have the member names for 61 reported surgers. I have VIN information for 44 of those members. I will add the real names of the users to my spreadsheet if you want to send me a Private Message with it. I can use my spreadsheet as a "customer impact" survey and send it with the letter. We also have most of the information for a formal letter in the sticky for this section.

I did a report to the Gov't agency afore mentioned and the Gov't liason afore mentioned also last night. I will be sending my vin info to you tonight. with a report of my problem. my complaint no. from filing last night and a Copy of the email I sent to Yamaha. Do you want that in a PM? or on the other topic reporting findings? And anything else you want to help fix this problem for everyone.

Tim

 

[Medium Al]

I am on the phone with Steve at Yamaha Customer Relations right now, will summarize when I get off. I am asking him to verify or refute some of the things stated here last few days.

BTW the number is 1-800-962-7926. The number posted earlier was for dealers only.

 

[Medium Al]

OK, here's what Steve (FJR product specialist) said after talking to the tech people responsible for the FJR. They are aware of the problem and are working on the solution. Officially they cannot or will not disclose whether that solution will be applied to the 07's but it will be incorporated into the 08's. They anticipate having a solution ready for implementation by end of this month or early Oct. He said that it will not be a recall but it wil be a fix done by the dealers.

I told Steve he had better get back to whoever is gatekeeper on this information and get them to make an official statement saying they will fix the 07's, or face a shitstorm (my words exactly) of litigation and bad publicity, including but not limited to extensive pressure on NHTSA for a recall and letter wrting campaign to pres. of Yamaha and cycle magazines. I asked him to call me back after discussing this matter with powers that be.

I also told him I have bought two new top of the line Yamaha's in the last year, but will never buy another if this problem is not fixed.

I recommend everyone call Steve at 1-800-962-7926. Have your VIN ready and get on the list. I was not on any list despite having gone to my dealer twice about the problem and being told I was on a list. Give him an earful of how pissed you'll be if they don't fix this ASAP. Be nice to him, it is not his fault but it is someone's fault and he can find them.

One more thing. He himself was not made aware of the problem until couple of weeks ago. So if you talked to him before that you'd have been told no problem exists, when in fact engineers have been on it for couple of months already.

 

[SockMonkey]

While I'm generally not one to air my grievances publicly, I am monitoring this thread diligently and with keen interest. Last weekend on a ride through the Cascades, I was made acutely aware of my FJR's dislike of higher altitudes with its jerky, twitchy response to throttle input most noticeable above 3500 ft. By way of trial, I found that I could regain effective control of the bike by reducing speed, dropping to lower gears and keeping the revs well above 3500. I might add that it's a bit nerve rattling to have this "characteristic" appear when negotiating a tight, upward left-hand curve with nothing between you and a several hundred foot drop off but a rickety- and abused-looking guardrail. :blink:

Separately though related, I continue to find the 2006 JD Power rankings for motorcycle manufacturers illuminating. I have to admit that in contrast to the year-on-year top rankings of Japanese car makers, the fact that the Japanese motorcycle producers fall to the opposite end of the spectrum is indeed surprising. Interestingly enough, it would appear that the Japanese have some work to do to catch up to their US peers. https://www.jdpower.com/autos/ratings/motorcycles

 

[painman]

OK, here's what Steve (FJR product specialist) said after talking to the tech people responsible for the FJR. They are aware of the problem and are working on the solution. Officially they cannot or will not disclose whether that solution will be applied to the 07's but it will be incorporated into the 08's. They anticipate having a solution ready for implementation by end of this month or early Oct. He said that it will not be a recall but it wil be a fix done by the dealers.
I told Steve he had better get back to whoever is gatekeeper on this information and get them to make an official statement saying they will fix the 07's, or face a shitstorm (my words exactly) of litigation and bad publicity, including but not limited to extensive pressure on NHTSA for a recall and letter wrting campaign to pres. of Yamaha and cycle magazines. I asked him to call me back after discussing this matter with powers that be.

I also told him I have bought two new top of the line Yamaha's in the last year, but will never buy another if this problem is not fixed.

I recommend everyone call Steve at 1-800-962-7926. Have your VIN ready and get on the list. I was not on any list despite having gone to my dealer twice about the problem and being told I was on a list. Give him an earful of how pissed you'll be if they don't fix this ASAP. Be nice to him, it is not his fault but it is someone's fault and he can find them.

One more thing. He himself was not made aware of the problem until couple of weeks ago. So if you talked to him before that you'd have been told no problem exists, when in fact engineers have been on it for couple of months already.

This is a confirmation of the information I got yesterday that I posted then in this thread. And I was not just talking to some "tech" as someone misinterpreted. I was talking to a "technical specialist" and as I mentioned he called the problem a "starving issue" which I thought was interesting. I could not get him to commit to any fix dates but he did say Yamaha is working on the problem and I would be notified by either phone and or mail of the outcome. Do not under estimate a simple call to Yamaha customer service. They take this seriously. I am not associated nor defending them but am talking from experience going this route in solving a problem that was going nowhere with my dealer and as was different with my dealer I didn't have to threaten Yamaha customer service, write any letters, file any law suites or complaints with NHTSA and it got fixed. And thanks for that info Medium Al. PM. <><

 

[Newbium]

All,

I took Medium Al's advise and just called the Yamaha Customer Relations number. I talked with a gentleman by the name of Craig, and he took all of my info on my altitude surging problem. Then he put me on hold for a few minutes, after which a lady by the name of Shari (sp?) came on the line. She asked what my issue with the bike was, and I told her. She then told me to wick on the throttle by more than 20% and it should fix the problem, in kind of a matter of fact way. I told her that you can't consistently do that in the tight, hilly, twisties that I typically ride in. She promptly change her tone and said that Yamaha is aware of the problem and that a fix would be available within a couple of weeks. I asked her how I would be notified, and she said I would be receiving a letter in the mail. I asked her if she was getting a lot of calls similar to mine and she said she couldn't answer that question, which leads me to believe that she is getting a lot of calls. While both Shari and Craig were very professional and polite, Shari seemed somewhat stressed.

Basically, everything she said seems consistent with what others on this board are hearing. I guess I'll give it a month and see what happens. BTW...I filed a complaint with the NHTSA this morning.

 

[Medium Al]

OK, heard back from Steve on "official" Yamaha position.

1) They are aware of the problem and working on the fix. Fix applies to all affected bikes, 07's included.

2) Fix will be done within 2 weeks (end of this month).

3) Allow approx. another 2 weeks for dealers to be notified & parts shipped.

4) We are to stay in contact with dealers to find out when fix is in, at that time will be asked to schedule an appointment for the fix, no charge to us.

I recommend everyone who hasn't to call Steve @ 1-800-962-7926 ex 7862, give him your VIN. Again he is the product specialist for the FJR at Yamaha Customer Relations.

 

[uctofeej]

Medium Al, any chance Steve wants to supply an email address instead? He's about to get a lot of phone calls.

 

[Medium Al]

Medium Al, any chance Steve wants to supply an email address instead? He's about to get a lot of phone calls.

I'm thinkin' we deluge one guy with the message it will get across without distortion. I did not get an e-mail from him, but I did get his personal extension (see previous post) so voice mail box full should get the point across.

 

[mrfah]

I do have the member names for 61 reported surgers. I have VIN information for 44 of those members. I will add the real names of the users to my spreadsheet if you want to send me a Private Message with it. I can use my spreadsheet as a "customer impact" survey and send it with the letter. We also have most of the information for a formal letter in the sticky for this section.

You can add me to that list if you'd like, thanks.

[email protected]

mrfah

 

[quietguy]

Medium Al, any chance Steve wants to supply an email address instead? He's about to get a lot of phone calls.

I'm thinkin' we deluge one guy with the message it will get across without distortion. I did not get an e-mail from him, but I did get his personal extension (see previous post) so voice mail box full should get the point across.

Off topic for two seconds - how ya like your roadliner? Have you seen the new Raider yet (has roadliner motor)?

Back to the regular topic...

 

[uctofeej]

Medium Al, any chance Steve wants to supply an email address instead? He's about to get a lot of phone calls.

I'm thinkin' we deluge one guy with the message it will get across without distortion. I did not get an e-mail from him, but I did get his personal extension (see previous post) so voice mail box full should get the point across.

Works for me. Thanks for doin' some legwork. Will call this afternoon.

 

[timalan]

I called this afternoon, Got voice mail and left a message.

I am thinking about Changing my bikes name. From Fiona.... to Sergio!!!

I Think When this is all over. And things are fixed, we should get together at a really steep location.

Ride up to the top. Have lunch. Ride down. Problem free.

A Surgin Rally!

Tim

 

[quietguy]

I called this afternoon, Got voice mail and left a message.I am thinking about Changing my bikes name. From Fiona.... to Sergio!!!

I Think When this is all over. And things are fixed, we should get together at a really steep location.

Ride up to the top. Have lunch. Ride down. Problem free.

A Surgin Rally!

Tim

...and if it's not fixed, ride to top, lunch, push bikes over edge.