Yamaha Motor USA is recalling 8,281 motorcycles for an issue that sees the VIN printed on the Federal Certification label mismatching what is stamped into the frame, which violates the requirements of 49 CFR Part 567, “Certification” in the vehicle code.
I guess this was bound to happen once we saw the Kawasaki Ninja ZX-25R become a real thing, as we are starting to hear murmurings that Yamaha may follow suit with a four-cylinder variant of its 250cc sport bike offering.
The rumor comes to us from Indonesia, with local site Iwanbanaran the first to report the story. Since then, the rumor has done the rounds in Europe, and now is making its way to North America.
If you own a 2019 Yamaha YZF-R3, then we have two recalls that you may want to look over, as they pertain to the braking system on this fun-sized sport bike.
Both recalls affect roughly 1,500 units, and center around two separate issues concerning the front brakes on the Yamaha R3.
The first recall is for the front brake hose, which may touch the horn lead wire when turning the handlebars from left to right. As a result, this could cause wear to the hose itself, which may cause it to leak brake fluid and thus affect braking ability.
In the second recall, the brake hose holder may come off the front fork bracket due to incorrect bracket hook shape. As a result, this could cause the hose protector cover to touch the front fork tube and cause premature wear to the cover. A worn cover could expose the brake hose to wear, causing it to leak brake fluid and affect braking ability.
Almost 200 units of the Yamaha YZF-R3 motorcycle from the 2019 model year are being recalled by Yamaha Motor Corp. USA because of issues manufacturing their front brake lever, which may break because of metal porosity.
In affected units, there is the potential for the front brake lever to have been manufactured with porosities in the material, which could allow the lever to break while applying a strong gripping force.
This means that a broken lever could cause sudden loss of front braking ability and a crash with injury or death.
The Yamaha YZF-R3 is seeing two recalls this week, one for its gear shifter assembly, and another for its cooling system.
The gear shifter recall affects 11,240 bikes from the 2015-2016 model years, whereas the radiator recall affects 16,760 bikes, from the 2015-2018 model years.
It looks like the Yamaha YZF-R3 will get a refresh for the 2019 model year, as photos of the bike – complete with a facelift – have surfaced in Indonesia.
The new design brings the R3 closer into the rest of Yamaha’s supersport family, particularly with an intake shape that looks inspired by the Yamaha YZR-M1 MotoGP bike.
There is a split on rumors as to whether the rest of the machine will get an update as well, specifically the frame and engine, though we can expect some some minor refinements to the overall package, no matter what the case may be on that front.
LED headlights and lighting all around have been tipped, and we wouldn’t be surprised to see an updated dash as well.
Yamaha Motor USA is recalling about 40 units of its 2017 Yamaha YZF-R3 motorcycle because of an issue with the bikes’ vehicle identification number (VIN) label.
Apparently, the affected machines were manufactured with Canadian Motor Vehicle Certification labels, instead of proper VIN labels for the US market.
Since this means that the machines fail to comply with federal laws concerning the certification of vehicles, a recall must commence.
As expected, the second recall this month for the Yamaha YZF-R3 has hit the computers of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, this time affecting the bike’s ignition switch.
As with the fuel tank bracket recall, the ignition switch recall affects 14,320 units from the 2015 and 2016 model years (bikes manufactured between January 13, 2015 and October 24, 2016.
As we predicted, the Yamaha YZF-R3 will be recalled by Yamaha USA because of engine vibration that can cause the fuel tank mounting bracket to contact the fuel tank, which overtime may result in the tank leaking fuel.
This recall is expected to start on March 9, 2017 and will affect 14,320 motorcycles in total in the USA (bikes manufactured between January 13, 2015 and October 24, 2016), though the recall is likely to affect models in other markets as well.
Yamaha YZF-R3 should ready themselves for recalls affecting their pint-sized sport bike, as Yamaha Motor Corporation USA has determined that the YZF-R3 has defects that affects motor vehicle safety.
The recall will affect 2015 and 2016 models, and relates to two different issues. The first defect concerns the fuel tank fitting bracket, which may cause the fuel tank to crack and leak fuel, due to engine vibration.
The second defect relates to the main power switch, which can become corroded from water, and cold potentially cause the motorcycle to stall.
The FIM and Dorna have agreed on a new entry class for the World Superbike championship. A Supersport 300 series has been created to house the burgeoning market of lightweight sports machines, such as the Yamaha YZF-R3 and the KTM RC390.
The concept for the class came about after consultation with manufacturers. Motorcycle manufacturers have seen sales of 600cc supersports bikes plummeting, while sales of lightweight machines have been booming.
More and more manufacturers have been entering the class, though each with slightly different machines and different engine capacities.