Photo: Yamaha
The handlebar of a motorcycle isn’t just a bent rod used to steer the machine, it’s also a way through which the front wheel and brakes give you feedback when riding. So naturally, you’d want it to be in solid condition, reason why you might want to take your new Yamaha back to the dealer to remedy a problem.
Yep, Yamaha is recalling three models built between 2015 and 2017 summing up to 22,433 units. The bikes in question are the FJ-09, FZ-09, and the XSR900, all three suffering from an issue that might dislodge the handlebar.
According to the documents released by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), the lower handlebar holders may have been improperly painted and their stud bolts may lack adequate thread-locking paste.
In case the handlebars are subjected to a strong impact (say, you drop it in a parking lot), the paint on the bottom of the lower handlebar holder may wear, creating enough of a gap that could allow the stud bolts to loosen form engine vibrations.
Left unfixed, the issue could become a serious problem. The studs can loosen or even completely fall off, causing the whole handlebar to come loose.
This problem was first detected during quality control review and testing. As of now, the company isn’t aware of injuries of deaths caused by the problem.
Yamaha will notify the owners of said motorcycles and instruct them to take their machines back to the dealership. There, qualified technicians will replace the lower handlebar holders with new parts that have undergone a different paint and thread-lock application process.
The new parts have unpainted bottom ends so there is no risk of creating excess clearance from paint wearing away. The stud bolts have also been treated with a dry-type thread locking agent to screw in more securely.
According to the documents released by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), the lower handlebar holders may have been improperly painted and their stud bolts may lack adequate thread-locking paste.
In case the handlebars are subjected to a strong impact (say, you drop it in a parking lot), the paint on the bottom of the lower handlebar holder may wear, creating enough of a gap that could allow the stud bolts to loosen form engine vibrations.
Left unfixed, the issue could become a serious problem. The studs can loosen or even completely fall off, causing the whole handlebar to come loose.
This problem was first detected during quality control review and testing. As of now, the company isn’t aware of injuries of deaths caused by the problem.
Yamaha will notify the owners of said motorcycles and instruct them to take their machines back to the dealership. There, qualified technicians will replace the lower handlebar holders with new parts that have undergone a different paint and thread-lock application process.
The new parts have unpainted bottom ends so there is no risk of creating excess clearance from paint wearing away. The stud bolts have also been treated with a dry-type thread locking agent to screw in more securely.
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