Leghorn
Well-known member
I've just got to give a huge thank you to Yamaha for its goodwill assistance in the repair of my "ticking" '04. My extended warranty expired more than four years ago, but Yamaha stepped up and provided all of the parts for exhaust valve guide replacement surgery.
Background: I tried to document a very faint noise back in 2008, but it was too fleeting and intermittent for the dealer to diagnose as abnormal. At the time the bike had well under 10,000 miles on it. Since retiring in June 2011, I have been riding more and, during a couple of cross-country rides, the noises rather quickly became louder and constant. Diagnosis at 30,000 miles: Ticker. Problem: Expired warranty as of August 2008.
I contacted Yamaha, hat-in-hand, and was initially refused assistance. I wrote them, laying out the details of my efforts to document a suspicious noise back in 2008 and, ultimately, we were able to agree that Yamaha would provide the parts, if I picked up the labor. This was particularly attractive to me because my cost for the repair parts would have been well over $1,000. Yamaha did not have any legal obligation to assist, but it provided the required parts as a goodwill gesture. For me it made all the difference in my decision to repair the bike. I mean that, other than the ticking problem, the bike was in fantastic shape, and well-farkled out. But as it is a 2004 model, I had to weigh the cost of repair versus the value of the bike after repair. Getting those parts from Yamaha made the repairs worthwhile for me.
Now the bike sounds like I remember it sounding when new and it seems to have more power, although I don't have before and after dyno info to document that feeling. Also, I got the work done at "winter labor rates," when the motorcycle shop was not so busy. Loudoun Motorsports in Leesburg VA did the work and they did a great job from my perspective.
Back on the road again!
Background: I tried to document a very faint noise back in 2008, but it was too fleeting and intermittent for the dealer to diagnose as abnormal. At the time the bike had well under 10,000 miles on it. Since retiring in June 2011, I have been riding more and, during a couple of cross-country rides, the noises rather quickly became louder and constant. Diagnosis at 30,000 miles: Ticker. Problem: Expired warranty as of August 2008.
I contacted Yamaha, hat-in-hand, and was initially refused assistance. I wrote them, laying out the details of my efforts to document a suspicious noise back in 2008 and, ultimately, we were able to agree that Yamaha would provide the parts, if I picked up the labor. This was particularly attractive to me because my cost for the repair parts would have been well over $1,000. Yamaha did not have any legal obligation to assist, but it provided the required parts as a goodwill gesture. For me it made all the difference in my decision to repair the bike. I mean that, other than the ticking problem, the bike was in fantastic shape, and well-farkled out. But as it is a 2004 model, I had to weigh the cost of repair versus the value of the bike after repair. Getting those parts from Yamaha made the repairs worthwhile for me.
Now the bike sounds like I remember it sounding when new and it seems to have more power, although I don't have before and after dyno info to document that feeling. Also, I got the work done at "winter labor rates," when the motorcycle shop was not so busy. Loudoun Motorsports in Leesburg VA did the work and they did a great job from my perspective.
Back on the road again!