Yamaha recalls - stalling & top case & their crappy baggage (IMHO) question

[RockyMtnWay]

So I took a trip on my new '05 a while back - already had 5k miles on it or so, no problems.   Took a quick 4 day ride out to Colorado and back (from California).   Utah.  Taking off from a rest stop, just as taking off leaning into it - stall.  Tipped over landed full load on my knee.   Could barely pick up the bike.   I was so bummed.   Chaulked it up to being late or me just losing it.   That was strange I though- just stalled, never had any bike do it quite like that before.    Next day - twice the thing stalls again - again low RPM just taking off from a gas station, layed me out right there in on the side of the road.  Due to my knee being all jacked up, I couldn't pick it up, some people came over and helped me.   This was the other side - great, now two sides of plastic are damaged.   It happened a third time at a stop sign in Boulder, but I caught it somehow.


Went home depressed - scared I was losing it.  Month goes by.  Knee is still bothering me, still limping around like a gimp.  Went to doc - xrays, etc. - some damage but they said for me to hang in there a while longer.   Month after that - I get the recall notice - "TPS sensor could cause stalls at low RPM - DO NOT RIDE YOUR BIKE - could cause death or serious injury".  

Needless to say, I had words for Yamaha.

The bike is now fixed up, and aparently I have a new TPS sensor and haven't had any stalls - but have been at sea level since then.   Hopefully it won't happen again when I hit Utah/Colorado/Canadian/Alaska elevations this summer.

So now I get the recall about the trunk thing cracking and have an appointment to get this reinforced, though I've had no breakage there.

Which brings me to a complaint I've had on the FJR since I've had it.   Is it just my bike, or are the handles that push down on your side bags (and trunk for that matter) - MUSHY?

The reason I ask this is because they don't "clip" into place nice and neat with a firm sensation.   But on the one side where they replaced my entire bag (outside and black part) - the totally new item is perfect.  The lever clips into place firmly - can be easily done with one hand.

Now that I have one bag that acts appropriately, and see how it is 'supposed' to be - I am wondering if others have had this issue.   Usually when I'm closing my side bags, my arms are full of stuff and I have to lock/close with one hand.   I have to be very careful not to bend my key (I've done it).

Which brings up my main concern - sine the thing doesn't clip into place firmly and does not fully "suck in" the covers - I'm pretty sure it won't be fully waterproof either.

Anyone have a similar complaint?   I have never persued this, but it is a big annoyance - sloppy work IMHO.

Thanks

[Ears]

I've got the '06, the other half has the '05.
Mine clicks firmly into place, while on his I gotta wonder if it's locked in place. There also seems to be an issue closing the key latch as well.
On the 06, if it's closed and locked, then it's closed and locked. Not so on the 05. Gotta make sure the bag is tight as the key latch will lock even if the side of the bag isn't fully closed.

Does that help?

[RockyMtnWay]

I've got the '06, the other half has the '05.
Mine clicks firmly into place, while on his I gotta wonder if it's locked in place. There also seems to be an issue closing the key latch as well.
On the 06, if it's closed and locked, then it's closed and locked. Not so on the 05. Gotta make sure the bag is tight as the key latch will lock even if the side of the bag isn't fully closed.

Does that help?

Clear as mud, Bubba.  Thanks!

[Snowbird]

Yeah, on my '06 the bag lock levers (where the key is) are "mushy." It's a product of the 4-point closing system developed to make the bags more reliably water tight. BMW uses a sililar system. But the traditional one-point closure bags on my Futura are sufficently water tight (although some owners complained loudly all over the internet that their's weren't) and these bags weigh less fully loaded than the FJR's bags do EMPTY.  Now, that's progress!    

It is design choices like this that have made the FJR unnecessarily heavy.    We can thank the internet whiners....

[sprint_st]

After the bags on my Sprint and Concours, I really like the one's on my '06.  To each his own, I guess.  When you look at the load rating on the top cases, all I can say is why bother?  Yeh, maybe there is a design issue, all bikes have them, and they are fixing them.  If you think Yamaha is bad, you should have to deal with Triumph on recalls.  As far as the weight of the luggage goes, until I can reduce my own weight by thirty pounds I'm not complaining about the FJR's porkiness  

[Snowbird]

After the bags on my Sprint and Concours, I really like the one's on my '06.  To each his own, I guess.  When you look at the load rating on the top cases, all I can say is why bother?  Yeh, maybe there is a design issue, all bikes have them, and they are fixing them.  If you think Yamaha is bad, you should have to deal with Triumph on recalls.  As far as the weight of the luggage goes, until I can reduce my own weight by thirty pounds I'm not complaining about the FJR's porkiness  

   Same here; except it's easier to get yamaha to slim down the FJR.  

The FJR bags function well.

[FJRmgm]

never had a problem with water leakage on my '05 FJR.

And I ride it nearly every day to work.

[RockyMtnWay]

The FJR bags function well.

I don't think this is a question of design ("four pointed system" or what have you, the design in general) - it's just that when I looked at an '06 on the floor - the things snapped in with a nice tight snap, sinching up the cover.   On the one where I had both the black part and the blue part replaced - same deal.  My issue was with the inconsistancy.   My original ones are mushy.   All others, and my one replacement - mushy as hell, and I can SEE they aren't closing as tight due to the fact it doesn't sinch in.

For example, on my trunk box - the gap at the front of the seam is visibly closer than at the front - where it's twice the size of gap.

Oh well.

[Baz]

After the bags on my Sprint and Concours, I really like the one's on my '06.  To each his own, I guess.  When you look at the load rating on the top cases, all I can say is why bother?  Yeh, maybe there is a design issue, all bikes have them, and they are fixing them.  If you think Yamaha is bad, you should have to deal with Triumph on recalls.  As far as the weight of the luggage goes, until I can reduce my own weight by thirty pounds I'm not complaining about the FJR's porkiness  

I kind of chuckle everytime I hear someone lightening the FJR by 5 lbs. (It's kind of like putting lipstick on a pig).

And ya, I would perform a whole lot better (at least in my own mind) if I dropped 30 lbs.