99-02 R6 ONLY 2nd gear slippage problems - warranty issues

Yep, I'm another one with this problem and I have a 2000 with 13,000 on it. my problem started around 10,000 and I don't abuse my bike either!!! However, what can they do if the bike is out of warrenty like mine???

My email is Sinner6000@hotmail.com

R6Sin, your info has been added to the list. I will keep you updated via E-mail.

-Ariah

no i do not work for yamaha. I have been guilty of the same thing before and felt bad about it... but 70-80% of the people on the "list" messed up their trannys due to rider abuse, and maybe 20% of them had a problem with their bike or fell victom to a Yamaha defect. I've seen guys toast their trannys in 2K miles.

Ara you have no proof one way or the other about this. I don't know where you got your 20% figure, but my guess is you just made it up. Please stop posting here unless you wish to help. Telling everyone they suck at shifting and that's why their trannys are fucked up isn't doing anything for anyone. I don't care if you've seen 100 people break 100 transmissions in 1 mile. It doesn't matter to me. Good bye.

-Ariah

I am Ariahs roomate. Im not sure if any of his motorcycle friends post here since none own an R6 but him.

Ariah was killed last night around midnight while riding his R6. He lost it in a turning overpass....went over the embankment at about 60mph. Sustained too much trauma over various areas of his body.

Someone please make a post in the appropriate area...and please say something about safety and responabilty. I would do it...but i am numb.

I just emailed him a few hours ago regarding this problem. I'm stunned. I really don't know what to say. I didn't know Ariah, but I'm very sad to hear this.

Kelly Nguyen, a new rider I was just getting to know was killed a few months back. Pablo, a local rider I knew was killed last month. Now Ariah. This is horrible.

Guys, I'll try my best to pick up where Ariah left off. I'm having this trans problem too and am getting the run around from both the dealer and Yamaha. Please contact me and I'll do my best to see this through.

Godspeed Ariah.

Aramaki

First thing's first.

RIP Ariah.

We loose a rider everyone week in the summer here in Houston. I hate to see or hear anything like this. Its a wake up call to say the least. Everyone be careful please! Gear can save you, but not all the time.

Ara,
Friend of mine has a 95 CBR900RR with 35k miles on the odometer and has yet to have any major repairs done. Its been piped and jetted. His tranny shifts 10 times smoother than my newly repaired R6 tranny.

My 2001 R6's 2nd gear started slipping at about 5800-6000 miles. I have NEVER clutched up a wheelie or shifted to 2nd without using the clutch. Read some reviews and you'll see that the design of the R6's tranny was geared (no pun intended) toward the handling and balance. They gave up reliability for balance. Here is some literature taken from a review written by Dave Abrahams

"The Yamaha’s vertically stacked transmission is an elegantly simple solution to the old problem of putting a long swingarm inside a short wheelbase and it is largely responsible for the R-series’ superb handling. But, and this is a big but, it starves vital sliding components of oil and places the shift mechanism right at the top in the worst possible position. To see this for yourself, check out the gear linkage; it runs upwards through a hole in the frame to the shift shaft, which is roughly where you’d find the carbs on a conventional motor.

The result is the notchiest gearshift on any bike from a major manufacturer. It’s always positive and none I’ve ridden has ever missed a shift, but it’s heavy and a little slow with so much resistance that it feels almost gritty and it’s no better than the earlier model. It is better at very high revs - most gearboxes are - but it’s never up to the standards of the class, especially the slick-shifting Suzuki. "

Hmm... Im not sure where I stand on this...

I look at Yamaha, and say they are producing a race bike. If the tranny goes out at 20,000 and needs a few cogs and some shims, wow, thats a strong tranny. The tranny works great for racing. Thumps right to where it needs to be, and never gives and trouble. Has good feel for me. I hate when I shift a Honda and cant tell if it went into the next gear or not. The bike was designed to dominate the race track. Then they threw lights on there for the money making side.

Now, on your side, Yamaha does know that the majority of the bikes sold are not going to be used for racing... Knowing this, they could have changed the gears when they found out about the problem. Only bad thing I see here is that the bike wasnt designed for this. They make other bikes that were designed for this... Theyre called cruisers. If you are racing, and dont take your motor apart at 20,000 miles for something, i say its the best bike EVER! Yes, Suzuki and Honda might not have the same problem, but like I said, if the bike is used for what it was designed for you would probably never notice the problem.

Best of luck getting this stuff warrantied. If ya do, GREAT!!!
Ill take a free tranny any day

Yeah, but what if it goes at half that distance?
We are talking typical failure at 10,000 miles (15,000 kms), and it has been treated well (not raced)?
At what mileage do you say is premature.? I reckon this is definately too early and is in no way 'normal wear'.

As my bike is an ex race bike i think you'll have to remove my name from your list. However i do think that the problem was not caused by the fact it was raced (4000 or so race kms only) as a racer usually is damn carefull about shifting as they know what happens when something goes bang at the wrong time. This is my first bike and i can assure you that i haven't done any wheelies on it. I have missed the 1st to 2nd gear change once or twice (who hasn't) and the number of times i've been to redline (rev limit has been disabled somehow!?) i can count on one hand. Oh and i do know how to use a clutch and i *DO* use it.

Also my bike has had extensive mods (ported, polished, shaved head, decked block etc etc) and makes more power than standard (so several reliable mechanics and racers have told me). I don't know exactly what but people tell me it's about the same power as the top funded teams are getting in racing in Oz. (no i'm not trying to thumb my nose or show off, i'm just explaining why my situation isn't likely to help you)

If you want to make sure it's not your shifting causing the problem, fit a reverse pattern shifter. When you push down to change gears you are *NEVER* going to miss the first to second gear change (you may sometimes miss the 2nd to first change when cruising up to the lights though, but not often.)
Pushing down is a more positive shift.

I wish you all luck...... and i note that the 2003 r6 has now got improved and tougher and more shift dogs on the gears...well wonders never cease! <- that may be helpful to know.

Good luck! (i'll be keeping an eye on this thread)

RIP Ariah