2012 Yamaha XTZ12

Defect. Yamaha Motor Corporation, USA (Yamaha) is recalling certain 2012-2013 Yamaha XTZ12 Super Tenere motorcycles. Over time, a gap may develop in the protective sealant where the lead wires of the accelerator position sensor (APS) and throttle position sensor (TPS) connect to the electronic control unit (ECU). This may cause corrosion on the wires, preventing the engine from returning to idle after the throttle is released.

Risk. If the engine does not return to idle when the throttle is released, it can lead to a loss of control, increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy. Yamaha will notify owners, and dealers will bypass the wire lead connection with a new sub lead harness multi-connector, free of charge. The recall began October 26, 2018. Owners may contact Yamaha customer service at 1-800-962-7926. Yamaha's number for this recall is 990122.

Defect. Yamaha Motor Corporation USA (Yamaha) is recalling certain model year 2009-2013 YZFR1 motorcycles manufactured October 2008 through August 2013 and 2012-2013 XTZ12 motorcycles manufactured October 2011 through August 2013. In the affected motorcycles, use of the headlight may generate enough heat to cause the bulb connections to expand, resulting in arcing in the headlight bulb socket which could cause the socket to overheat, melt and cause the headlight to malfunction.

Risk. A headlight failure reduces the rider's ability to see clearly and the motorcycle's visibility to oncoming traffic, increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy. Yamaha will notify owners and dealers will replace the headlight socket, free of charge. The recall began on March 10, 2014. Owners may contact Yamaha at 1-800-962-7926.

The ABS module on the Super Tenere is known to fail in such a way as to leave the rear brake inoperable (the brake pedal can be bottomed out without any resistance and without applying any pressure to the rear caliper). This happened on my 2012 Super Tenere, and has been discussed considerably among multiple other Super Tenere owners who have experienced the same failure. This is a significant safety risk, as any ABS module failure should fail in such a way as to leave both front and rear brake operable. It is believed amongst Super Tenere owners that the failure occurs largely due to the Unified Braking System (a subsystem contained within the ABS module which applies rear brake when the front brake is applied). It is believed that moisture penetrates the system through a vent hole, causes corrosion on moving internals, and damaged seals and corroded pistons allow air to be sucked into the system. Pictures of the corroded internals of a failed unit can be provided upon request.

VEHICLE INTERMITTANTLY WILL NOT IDLE, STALLS OUT WHEN DECELERATING TO A STOP, WHEN IN BETWEEN GEARS, WHEN RESTARTED, WILL IDLE BELOW 700 RPM AND STALLS REPEATEDLY. AT OTHER TIMES, IT WILL IDLE AT 3000 RPMS, SOMETIMES BACK FIRING, WHEN CLUTCH IS PULLED IN THE RPMS WILL DROP BUT MOST TIMES, IT'S A ROUGH IDLE, BOUNCING BETWEEN 700 AND 1300 RPM'S. WHEN IT IS COLD, IT OFTEN IDLES FINE UNTIL IT GETS WARM... THIS HAS BEEN AN ONGOING PROBLEM SINCE NEW. IT HAS BEEN BROUGHT TO THE DEALER AND THEY COULD NOT RESOLVE THE PROBLEM...