Gen II ground spider discussion (bench racing)

[bramfrank]

Sounds like you could have some grounding issues with your bike - and if so, I believe you might be among the first, if not THE first owner of a 'world market' FJR to report suffering the problem.

Note that in the early stages of the problem, simply shifting the harness around can break the oxidation enough to let the machine run for a while, so pushing and pulling on the harnesses can sometimes provide temporary relief.

However the symptoms you mention are not definitive and could well also be the beginnings of an ignition switch failure. Nothing of what you report is actually in the 'symptom list' for a Spider problem.

 

[bramfrank]

[SIZE=36pt]It seems to me that U.S. users should probably start phoning the NHTSA to to make their initial reports and those previously affected should follow up on their filings. [/SIZE]

Phoning provides a live body and an audit trail and may get some action.

As to Yamaha's reaction to all this? Reprehensible. They should be saying that they are investigating a possible issue, rather than denying the problem exists.

The [SIZE=36pt]www.Safercar.gov[/SIZE][SIZE=36pt] telephone number is: 888-327-4236[/SIZE]

 

[palerider]

Boy, I thought I put enough disclaimers in my last posts...
I was just trying to be fair here. If someone wants to provide the actual resistance value in the original harness ground loop, road-runner's 4 extra 16ga ground wire paths, and Brodie's extra 10ga wire ground path, I will be more than happy to calculate a more precise current flow in each path for each case.

Until then, please use these numbers as a guideline only.

Thanks for the numbers. Just a reminder that no good deed goes unpunished.

 

[ionbeam]

I had some time to chat with the service manager at my preferred Yamaha shop this morning. During our conversation I asked him if he had heard anything from Yamaha about the grounds on the Gen II. Brian says that he received a technical bulletin about the grounds roughly 30 days ago. All the bulletin really said was that the service shops should start inspecting FJR harnesses for damage at the grounding connectors. That sure isn't a whole lot of hope, but at least the Mother Ship has alerted all US dealers to inspect FJR harnesses.

We now have the first step which is detection, next we need Yamaha to step up with repair and for all future FJRs, with prevention.

Brian also mentioned that other brands of motorcycles have had this same problem for a couple of year now and he has been changing sub-harnesses in those brands. He says that the FJR's grounds are part of the primary harness and he just hates having to change the primary harness. After this morning I believe he realizes that he may have an opportunity to get real good at changing main harnesses as the Gen IIs age.

 

[LAF]

Indeed good news.

I think persistence and bramfrank's vigilance is having the desired effect. A bulletin is proof of awareness of "some" failures. As I said all along and still maintain, it will be a model/line change and not a recall. At best a "grandfathered" repair with the same old harness as we have seen from those who had it fixed.

However most of the problem is fixed by either Spider Bite kit out there. I say most as I still think they need kept on a cleaning schedule. I am ok on maintenace as it is down time for me and I enjoy it.

However the people who never see a FJR specific Internet Forum are the people I am worried about since bramfrank pointed it out to me, and is really the whole point of a recall fix. Every owner should know this possibility of a failure, and what can occur. Hell my meds come with a book attached that scares the hell out of me to even take my Nexium.

I guess the could adapt plugs to shed ground to other places for some type of retrofit but to separate and route that all, and hopefully increasing wire size, would be expensive on the labor/install end. I would think the harness is not to bad, hell they got 'nuff people to get er done.

Still a good news post and I thank you for sharing.

 

[road runner]

bump