FJRF013 - Transmission Recall for Second Gear (DE, UK, CA, & US) (2016-2020)

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Bastards - find another shop.

I would also report them to Yamaha head office.  They should be bending over backwards to resolve this issue.

Not bending you over.

Canadian FJR
I found another dealer - much more responsive, they ordered the parts for me in advance and will get me in after 3 other (practrice) police FJR's. So in about 2 weeks...

 
I found my VIN on Yamaha site and rode to the dealership and had a chat with the general manager to voice my disappointment.  Dealer had received bulletin night before.   

He actually printed the the bulletin which contains the complete procedure, their notice and the letter I will get.  Assured me it's not a problem and ordered the parts.

My nagging question is if they fix second gear why do the detune on the ECU?

 
“My nagging question is if they fix second gear why do the detune on the ECU?”

Im trying to get that answer from my dealer and also just how “detuned” it is.

Canadian FJR
 

 
My nagging question is if they fix second gear why do the detune on the ECU?
I'm betting it just prevents over-revving in 2nd.  Even if the new gear is not subject to breakage, 2nd gear dogs have been prone to failure - especially to those who habitually "miss" shifts.  I expect the difference to be subtle but it would be disappointing if it effectively castrates acceleration in the lower gears!  That's the most fun.

 
I called Lynwood Motoplex, my preferred dealer to work on my bike. They have a great tech. They put the parts on order for me. Said they are available at this time and should show up shortly. As soon as they arrive they'll schedule the work. There is one person ahead of me in the queue at that shop. 

 
Jeez am I glad I have a gen2 (2010) machine.  I was in the local Yamaha shop awhile back I think buying a quart of Yamalube gear oil and I said if I ever ran into an issue that was beyond my pay grade I would be in to see them and they said as a Yamaha dealer they would have to accommodate me  but they had never seen an FJR ever.  Turns out they're not alone in my neck of the woods by a long shot.  But at least they were honest.  I guess worst case is I would just throw a sheet over the beast and park it in the corner out of the way and call it a day.

Well, maybe rent a trailer and head to Lynwood, WA. :rolleyes:

 
Well.

After two decades of FJR ownership, waaaay over 300,000 miles of heavy-duty use on four different Generations - it has come to this?  😖  WTF, Yamaha?

Obviously, my 2018 is on the recall list - I am looking to have DVP schedule me up as soon as parts hit.

I hate this, but I am having it done on the bike ASAP.  I have noticed something going on in this transmission - likely enough, this is related.

I am looking at the official Recall Bulletin M2021-002R, the 26-page PDF that Yamaha technicians must follow.  Holy Fucking. Shit.  😲 😲 😲  This is one heavy-duty recall.

Of course the entire motor/transmission assembly is extracted from the bike before you can really start the process.  Get mentally prepared for this one, fellas.  Lots of stuff is being disassembled:

image.png
 

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I gotta wonder how all this is going to affect sales of used FJR's.  

I can just imagine having work of this magnitude done by a dealer tech that is totally unfamiliar with a bike as complex as an FJR.  From what I've seen I would rather have a go at it myself.

 
From what I've seen I would rather have a go at it myself.
Just depends on your dealer and the tech who is doing the work.  I certainly wouldn't bring it to a shop that may not see an FJR from one year to the next but there are a lot out there who know their stuff.

I expect it will affect the resale market to some extent - as much as anything because it looks like the FJR may not be around much longer in its current form anyway.  

Sometimes surprising how little a brand suffers because of a recall or perceived fault.  They still sell BMW's after the final drive issues...

 
Well.

After two decades of FJR ownership, waaaay over 300,000 miles of heavy-duty use on four different Generations - it has come to this?  😖  WTF, Yamaha?

Obviously, my 2018 is on the recall list - I am looking to have DVP schedule me up as soon as parts hit.

I hate this, but I am having it done on the bike ASAP.  I have noticed something going on in this transmission - likely enough, this is related.

I am looking at the official Recall Bulletin M2021-002R, the 26-page PDF that Yamaha technicians must follow.  Holy Fucking. Shit.  😲 😲 😲  This is one heavy-duty recall.

Of course the entire motor/transmission assembly is extracted from the bike before you can really start the process.  Get mentally prepared for this one, fellas.  Lots of stuff is being disassembled:

View attachment 193
 

 🥺 😢  🥺 😢  🥺 😢  🥺 😢  🥺 😢  🥺 😢 
I have seen these 26 pages & I believe 25 of them are instructions on this transmission recall (they say a 14 hour job) & also a front brake/front brake light/cruise control issue - I found it unbelievable.

PM Bill Lumberg.  He’s riding during Covid.
 

The Dragon is a fine ride and on everyone’s checklist.  Cherohala Skyway is a more mellow ride that’s every bit as enjoyable.  So is the Blood Mountain run to Tesnatee Gap in north Georgia.  
 

Any ride  is far more fun if you carry a brown-bag lunch and cool drink stashed in your FJR luggage.  Eat at a picnic table in a scenic overlook.

 
Well.

After two decades of FJR ownership, waaaay over 300,000 miles of heavy-duty use on four different Generations - it has come to this?  😖  WTF, Yamaha?
WTF, is Yamaha assigned a complex dynamics equation to some damn junior engineer who tried to stuff six gears where 5 were before.  Not that I understand Japanese culture but ya gotta wonder if he is still with the company or disgraced?  It took four darn years to be discovered.  So much for the notion of wait a year between model updates. 

On the plus side I will ask the dealer to switch the orientation of the center stand bolt so I can service the relay arm and maybe have them service it while they are at it.  The bike will be in bits anyway.

And those will high mileage units may want to get the starter replaced too.

When I get my 17 home the torque wrench will be put to good use.

 
It looks like my '18A is a weener too!  Both 990140 & 990141 are listed on the recall webpage.  Jeez, put 121k on my '09A with nary a hickup and 101st put another 30k or so on it.  Oh well, looks like a trip to my local Yamaha/Suzuki dealer is on the schedule for tomorrow.  I both put in my VIN at the recall page on Yamaha, and called their number to talk to a representative.  He verified it.

I was pretty much figuring this to be my last FJR due to my, er, advancing age.  So, we'll make it right.  It's funny, my '09 had a trip to Montana under it's belt within short time of getting it - well after the repairs from hitting that pig when it had ~57 miles on it the first day.  The '18 has only ~1000 miles on it since I got it 18 months ago.  Between Covid, back surgery, and a garage full of bikes, it hasn't been ridden much.  Maybe that was a good thing.

 
WTF, is Yamaha assigned a complex dynamics equation to some damn junior engineer who tried to stuff six gears where 5 were before.  Not that I understand Japanese culture but ya gotta wonder if he is still with the company or disgraced? 
This seems hyperbolic and wouldn't presume that. Try reading the actual recall. I did and design issue did not seem likely to me. It seemed more likely a part supplier issue of a cast vs. forged part. 

Still an issue, but a different one. And not something Japanese culture, but how all manufacturing companies have shifted more and more to a supplier model over the years.  The FJR is cheaper now adjusted for inflation and has more and more features since it was released in 2002.

That said, this issue is a big one...probably up there with the ticker issue that was one of the first pinned issues on this forum.

 
One thing's sure not trading my '10 FJR for a newer one anytime soon and most likely not ever in what's left of this lifetime and same thing goes double for my '93 BMW.  All rolling stock has become far to complex and this idiot idea of putting six gears in place of five really tops it as in totally un-necessary and now look, duuhhh.....

 
One thing's sure not trading my '10 FJR for a newer one anytime soon and most likely not ever in what's left of this lifetime and same thing goes double for my '93 BMW.  All rolling stock has become far to complex and this idiot idea of putting six gears in place of five really tops it as in totally un-necessary and now look, duuhhh.....
This is a quality control issue with the fabrication of a part, namely a gear. I thought I read they have already taken care of this issue in the latest models being sold. I for one like the 6 speed and the easy pull of the clutch lever due to the slipper deign. 

 
I called the local dealer where I bought my FJR and got the parts on order. The tech told me the parts come from Japan and could take up to 60 days! He added that it should be much sooner, but wanted me to be prepared for worst case.

Wonder if Amazon Prime can get them here in two days.

 
Hey, Bugs.  I think he wants you to go away.  At least somewhere else.

Went to the dealer to get the ball rolling last Friday without a letter.  The service manager called today to tell me parts in stock and are 7-10 days out.  He also told me he was calling it 20hrs. so plan on the bike being there for the better part of a week.

I asked who was eating the extra 6hrs. he said he was.  He didn't think many shops could actually get it done in the Yamaha allotted time frame.

 
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