My 2020 FJR Recall Journey Part 1

[@letitrest4662]

Hi Brian, I'm Greg. I grew up, right up the state from you near Peoria, Il. I gotta tell ya, I watch every video about FJR1300a's that comes out. Because I have a 2013 model, that I bought with just 2832 miles on it, and I now have over 54,000 miles on the clock. I'm sixty years old, and have been riding for 42 years, accident free. I just love my bike, and I can tell you feel the same way about yours. What great machines they are. Comfortable for long travel. Fast, nimble for a 650 pound bike. So enough with that. My last trip was 7835 miles, in twenty days. I had two 700 plus mile days, and one that was 952 miles in one day. Not too shabby for a man that was 56 years old at the time, eh ? When I got my bike in 2013, I installed bar risers, a Givi 50 liter top trunk with lights, and a Sargent saddle. Brian if you haven't installed bar risers, you won't realize what an improvement it is. As well the Sargent saddle. It's the first time I've bought and used an aftermarket saddle. The funny thing is that when I got it, I pulled it out of the box, and felt how hard the foam was, and thought to myself, what did I just pay $450 for. I'd taken a couple of 400 plus mile day trips with the stock Yamaha saddle, and immediately realized that the Yamaha seat wasn't going to do it, for me. In fact of the eleven motorcycles I've owned, over that 42 years, I'd say only one, stock seat was half way comfortable. That was on my 1981 Yamaha Seca 750. Till I got my FJR1300a, I'd never done any long trips. My longest ride prior to the FJR, was the Seca. I commuted every two weeks or so, from Chicago to Peoria and back. About 150 miles. So the newest news for me is that I retired after 33 years of being an aircraft mechanic, and I'm planning on selling my house and being a nomad, for at least a while, anyhow. definitely the bike fits into that picture. Anyway, and BTW, if ya feel like staying in touch, so we can compare notes regarding fun motorcycle journeys and such, then let me know. IT IS ABSOLUTELY...... about the journey ! AND NOT... getting from point "A" to point "B". You haven't lived till you've camped along a river in Montana, or experienced a summer cloud burst, in New Mexico high desert. Or camped in a rain forest on the Olympic Peninsula. The FJR is comfortable, and capable enough to carry everything you need, to travel for weeks at a time. No kidding, Brian, you take a long trip on your bike........ you'll feel renewed. Being out in the elements, and being part of the universe around you.... is not to be taken for granted. NOW........ on a slightly different note, entertainment. I don't recommend this, when commuting in traffic, but when I travel, I use a set of Bose Noise Canceling ear buds, a FiiO A3 inline MP3 amplifier, and my Galaxy phone. I have the Pandora app (the free version), the Tunein Radio app also free (so I can scope out a ballgame while traveling), as well as the Audible app ( so I can choose to listen to a book if I want). BTW, no self respecting motorcyclist would go a lifetime, without listening to, or reading ; Zen And The Art of Motorcycle Maintenance, as well as ; Shop Class as Soul Craft. Philosophy, Brian, and understanding why there are those of us that love our machines. I hope you stay in touch.

[@ShujaKidwaiMasauliwala]

Such a great message for all those newbies like myself... Thanks for sharing...

[@LostPathfinderTB]

Just picked my FJR up from the local dealership today. I dropped it off for both recalls on March 5th; thankfully, everything went well and she rides just like she was new. To be fair, I called them back in January and got put on a "waiting list" for the recall kits. Once they had one in for me, they called and that's when I scheduled the drop off. It was a long month but worth it. Best of luck with yours. Having a Yamaha-certified technician is a big confidence booster (mine had done the one on the showroom floor and two other customer bikes back-to-back). It'll be a great day once you get it back in your hands and on the road again.

[@AZLetendre]

Awesome! Mine is home too, I just have not posted three follow-up video yet, work got in the way.

[@johnmartin9163]

Hey Brian just a short follow up. I did go back to Big St Charles to pick my FJR up as it WAS in fact sitting out in the rain for 3 weeks sadly. They were very understanding that I wanted to bring it home and they had no problem with me doing so. I asked them about the Gold certification and they confirmed they do have them , and from a mechanic there unassociated with my project that I just happened to chat with while there. Anyway, I just decided to ride it home and have been riding since then. The parts ETA has remained unchanged. I'm not really worried about 2nd gear blowing out and I'm taking it easy out there anyway. Also they said that when my parts arrive that they have an "RO" attached to it that indicates they were ordered for MY bike (didn't want my parts going to someone elses bike) and that they would contact me when it arrives. A Yamaha FJR forum has given me the conclusion that everyone now is getting hit with the wait for the parts from Japan apparently so it could be a while.Thanks for the offer to share trailer. After talking to them this time I have a little more confidence in them and I think I'll stick with them for this process. Send a private message if you'd like to hook up for a ride sometime. I live in Wright City out past Wentzville and I enjoy the channel. Thanks Brian.

[@AZLetendre]

I'm glad they seem so positive and also that they have somebody certified. I hope yours gets repaired quickly.

[@Joel.Ravet88]

That would be awesome if Sean from SRK cycles saw this video! I too think he and his crew do a fantastic job, offer great quality products and even better customer service! Great videos to you as well! Keep the content coming...

[@AZLetendre]

Thank you.

[@dmcwrench]

Choosing a shop because they have a "certified" technician is not the best idea. All that means is someone sat in front of a computer, watched videos, then took a test and passed within a certain percentile. If you want a good technician, ask how many years experience they have working on your brand of motorcycle? 20 plus years, and your bike will probably be in good hands. Less than five years, I would find someone else.

[@AZLetendre]

I understand, but will disagree to a point. Number of years is great, however some knowledge, even computer, is also good because in this case, the motorcycle had to be torn down and case opened. I don't want a 20 year mechanic watching KZbin on how to do this specific work. Just my thought of course, but I agree experience is important too.

[@kevlm62]

I also took care of the recall on my 10 month old 2020 FJR with 1250 miles on it this past weekend. I traded it in for a Tracer 900 GT

[@AZLetendre]

@kevlm62, I have wanted this bike for years, and still paying one it. I'm not trading it anytime soon. But I understand for sure

[@kevlm62]

@@AZLetendre to be honest, I’m happy with the trade. I was always a sport bike rider and had always thought that when I grow up and mature, I’ll get an FJR. Once I did buy it however, I realized it was too big and heavy for the riding I like to do. The trade went pretty fairly and I have the bike I should’ve bought in the first place. The FJR is a beautiful bike. Just not for me.

[@stevedarrach3870]

Brian.... just wondering if you still have the FJR and if you do have you had any problems with the bike after this recall was completed. Thanks.

[@AZLetendre]

@@stevedarrach3870 I do not have the fjr anymore. Personally I wish I did. But due to some family needs financially it had to get sold. As for any problems with it, I had nothing after the recall

[@johnmartin9163]

Brian, I took my 2017 FJR to Big St Charles Motorsports in St Charles. I was assuming they had certified techs on staff but apparently not sadly. It's been there 2 weeks now with no word on the availibility of the 2nd gear parts. When I dropped it off they said they had done about 10 FJRs so far but confidence is low at this point. I hope its not sitting there in the lot in the rain. I'm going to have to check with them and see what's up. Let us know how the rebuild goes and maybe I'll have to transport mine to Surdyke as well.

[@AZLetendre]

I bought mine there and was not impressed. The response (or lack of) when finally speaking to them about mine was confirmation I went to the right place for me. If you want to know more, send me a private message.

[@AZLetendre]

As a side, my wife may not be able to drive out this Tuesday to get it so I may have to rent the trailer again. It will be going east empty, if you want to share the cost to get yours moved. I don't know if they can do that once they've worked parts but the option is there if you're interested.

[@stewart967]

John, if you are talking about St. Charles, MO Big St. Charles Motorsports. The Yamaha website shows them having Motorsports Technician Gold certification. The search method in this video may be correct, but I suggest not filtering the way the content producer has and just search your dealership on the yamaha website without filtering. You will see all of their certifications there. No affiliation and YMMV. God Bless and stay safe.

[@AZLetendre]

@@stewart967 thank you for the heads up. I'm glad they either finally got that qualification or got this website fixed. My motorcycles recall work is now done, and I did speak with someone in their service department eventually that told me no one was certified at that time. That was months ago. I did not have any filtering on, I did exactly what was shown on the video for how to find a dealer with a certified service.

[@johnmartin9163]

@@stewart967 Thank you Stewart!

[@ShujaKidwaiMasauliwala]

Thats a great video... I will use these instructions during my next strap down.

[@Duke4ever188]

I’ve always seen bikes be secured at the handle bars. That’s an awesome way two tie the bike for even the longest of travels. Love your “crash bars and those Yamaha decals. If you wouldn’t mind sharing where you got them, I’d much appreciate it. Stay safe 🙏🏻

[@AZLetendre]

The bars are from T-Rex racing. The stickers are from a company which is no longer in existence. However, the designs were bought by Black Hills Moto, so they are still available, I just have no experience with that company.

[@Duke4ever188]

@@AZLetendre thank you Brian, I ended up through lots of your awesome video and found the company. I’m going to ordering my set today 👍🏻

[@travelinben1966]

Brian, could you use those awesome engine guards and saddlebag guards as mounting points for the straps?Very informative as always.Thank you.👍👍

[@AZLetendre]

Possibly, but the forks worked great

[@scarman123]

Apparently that’s no longer an option when searching for a dealer.

[@letitrest4662]

Adendum to my last post. Brian I heard you say you have kids. I am ALL about safe riding. Especially for a family man. The worst possible thing that could happen to a mom and kids is Dad dying, or even worse being a vegetable or quadraplegic the rest of his life. Like I said before, "42 years riding, accident free". AND NO..... loud pipes are not the answer. Lighting is..... I recommend getting the brightest LED driving lights you can find. I emphasize driving lights, because they need to have a beam that's directed ahead, and not dispersed like a flood light. The idea is to mount them down low, about 6-8 inches above axle level on your front forks. WHY ? So they can be seen, in a very obvious way, but not shining directly in everyone's eyes. You want to have them on, whenever you're riding. Even at night. If you have them mounted up high, like mirror level, like you see people doing, then motorists are going to be flashing their high beams at you, all the time, and you'll end up turning them off. Or directing them down, which defeats the purpose. Whereas if you have them mounted low, and level, people will see you coming from a good two hundred yards away. They'll also maybe feel that you put them down low, so as not to blind them. Maybe avoiding causing road rage. Also you'll get the benefit of being able to see much further at night. I have a set of PIAA led lights mounted on my FJR, like I mentioned, and have never had, what is typical, a motorist pull out in front of me, because they didn't notice the cycle. Really Brian, take it from a Dad who has two sons. My oldest is not much younger than you. If you imagine your little ones growing up with out their Dad, you'll take my advice. Light that bike up like it's Christmas. Let everyone see you coming.

[@armyfazer1410]

Be very careful putting a sideload on the shocks like that. Forks are built for up and down forces, not lateral.

[@reddog907]

15 degrees , that’s a heat wave in Calgary 😀

[@georgenauss2670]

We ride at 10 degrees! Below that we pack it in!

[@timegan1185]

I'm in England and have a 2020 Ultimate and have still not received a recall notice for any of the issues!

[@jorgemtds]

Contact your dealer. When I contacted Yamaha Portugal they told me to contact the dealer and request the service directly.

[@timegan1185]

@@jorgemtds but we shouldn't have to find out this way, online through other owners! Its their responsibility to get in touch with us over this it's a major issue and someone could potentially die!

[@johnmartin9163]

Tim I contacted Yamaha here in the states and they said the dealers do not require a recall letter as I had not gotten one either but the recall did apply to my 2017.

[@timegan1185]

@@johnmartin9163 thank you for the response but my argument is how would we know about this issue if we didn’t stumble upon it on KZbin? Yamaha don’t care they are not sending letters out although some guys seem to have been contacted and they’ve been told not to ride the bike until the work is done, there’s no consistency!

[@solidsnake3861]

the older gen where better with the 5 gear trans i think

[@Thomo_qld]

Engine and rear crash bar's would of been easier

[@alancooke8682]

Yamaha have wrecked the bike with their gearbox modification or more precisely the ECU re-flash that puts limiters on 1st and 2nd gear! My bike was wrecked with limiter coming in around 3,600rpm. I also know of a police force where they have had all their fleet wrecked with this mod and Yamaha UK will not even communicate with this force! I have had my bike ECU completely remapped and it’s now better than original and no limiters. Stuff Yamaha will never buy another new bike off them ever again, full of lies as they never even told me they were going to re-flash the ECU and they let me ride the bike off with out even telling me they were there…complete morons…

[@zeke2566]

Yamaha needs to do a whole lot better,the reflash should come with a buy back option or money compensation as your ride has been neutered,it is not the bike you paid for-,slower and disected,sorry for your troubles.....

[@alancooke8682]

@@zeke2566 as it was part of the safety recall along with the gearbox they refuse to do anything about it! My local police force FJR’s are all wrecked as well and Yamaha refuse to do anything about it…so glad I got my ECU reflashed by Ivan’s Performance in the USA, was not easy dealing with customs both in USA and the return to the UK but the bike runs better than ever! Plus no limiters, no cruise control limitations from 0-top speed plus a third engine map! Yamaha have lost me as a customer as will never buy another new bike from them period! 😡