Yamaha recalls YZF-R1 and YZF-R1M in India

Yamaha has recalled the YZF-R1 and the YZF-R1M in India, as a part of its global recall campaign for the superbikes. The recall, which has been issued to fix a major glitch in the transmission, covers seven YZF-R1 and two YZF-R1M models in the country. 

Under this global recall campaign, Yamaha has recalled every YZF-R1 and YZF-R1M the company has sold so far, to replace the gearbox. The recall comes on the heels of several gearbox failures across the world. The second gear ratio tends to fail under extreme load, which can lead to the gearboxes seizing. While no such cases have been reported in India so far, Yamaha will be rectifying the issue by replacing the faulty transmissions free of cost. The recall exercise will be run through Yamaha’s authorised superbike dealership network. Customers of the affected motorcycles will be contacted through mail and phone calls starting today. 

Commenting on this recall, Mr Ravinder Singh, VP, strategy and planning, Yamaha Motor India Sales Pvt. Ltd. said, “During the extensive study of the products, our parent company Yamaha Motor Co. Ltd., Japan has found a defect, which relates to deformation of transmission gears and breakage which exists in R1 and R1M motorcycles manufactured in the year 2015. Therefore, India Yamaha Motor has decided to run a voluntary recall campaign on 9 units of motorcycles which include 7 units of YZF-R1 and 2 units of YZF-R1M.”

It is also worth noting that a previous recall for the YZF-R1M saw the company replacing the electronically-controlled rear Ohlins suspension on a few affected models. This issue with the gearbox could be caused either by a major design flaw or low quality components, though the company has refused to reveal details regarding this. Either way, technical faults like these on flagship models tend to reflect badly on the brand and are sure to affect the sales of the motorcycles. Nevertheless, Yamaha Motor India’s prompt response on this issue demonstrates their commitment and concern for the customers’ safety.