Motorcycles · Yamaha · Cruiser & retro
IllustrationIllustration (AI-generated) of a 2008 Yamaha Road Star / Road Star Warrior, not a photo of a specific motorcycle. Free to use under CC BY 4.0: credit The Lemon Index (lemonindex.com). Download and credit text
Owner complaints filed with NHTSA, 2000 to 2009 models.
141 of 199 describe the transmission (second gear) failing, many waiting months for recall parts.
1 reported a crash and 1 a fire.
128 of 195 describe the transmission (second gear) failing, many waiting months for recall parts.
1 reported a fire.
After 2003, no model year drew more than 28.
Fewest complaints on file: 2006 (3), 2007 (7), 2009 (1). Few complaints is not a clean bill of health, just fewer owners filing.
What each year's complaints describe comes from reading their text. These are counts, not rates: there are no sales figures per motorcycle model year. A complaint is not proof of a defect.
Popular years get more complaints just because more were sold, and newer years have had less time to collect them. There are no U.S. sales figures by motorcycle model year, so these are counts, not rates.
On certain motorcycles, certain transmission components may not meet yamaha quality-control standards, which could allow abnormal wear that eventually results in a broken retaining circlip.
In the transmission on certain motorcycles, the second/third pinion gear may be incorrectly machined which could cause abnormal wear that eventually results in a broken retainer circlip.
On certain motorcycles, the fuel tank bracket washer and damper do not adequately protect the tank from engine vibration.
Recall repairs are free at any dealer. Check a specific bike's VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
~74 hpClaimed crank figure
From the makers' U.S. spec sheets (the EU sheet for horsepower where the U.S. one leaves it out), checked against a sample on Nov 11; years and versions differ.
Filed as: ROAD STAR, ROAD STAR WARRIOR, ROAD STAR SILVERADO, WARRIOR, ROAD STAR LIMITED EDITION. Source: NHTSA owner complaints (model years 2000-2026) and recalls. Every motorcycle
Also counted in the Yamaha V Star family page.
More cruiser & retro: Suzuki Boulevard · Honda VTX1300 / VTX1800 · Harley-Davidson Softail · Honda Shadow · Yamaha V Star · Ducati SportClassic · Harley-Davidson Dyna · Harley-Davidson V-Rod · Every motorcycle
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