On February 24, 2022, Yamaha Motor Corporation U.S.A. issued a vehicle safety recall notice for some 2021 Yamaha Tracer 9 GT motorcycles due to the potential for the throttle grip to break in the event that it’s used to pull up a fallen motorcycle that is laying on its side. Such breakage could result in restricted throttle movement, which may in turn not respond as expected to rider input, increasing the risk of a crash.
An estimated 453 bikes, or around 5 percent of the population, are believed to be affected. Production dates of affected bikes range from February 15, 2021 through July 8, 2021. Affected VINs range between JYARN74Y0MA000304 and JYARN74EXMA000672 and are non-sequential. It's unclear if there is any overlap between 2021 Tracer 9 GTs included in this recall, and an earlier recall for the same model year regarding incorrect VIN labels.
One possible warning that a rider might notice is unexpected resistance when applying the throttle, and a potential slow return to idle when the throttle grip is released. Yamaha advises that owners of affected bikes should not ride those bikes, other than to take it to a dealer, until the recall service is performed.
Authorized Yamaha dealers will inspect and, if necessary, replace the grip end on affected bikes. They will also replace the entire throttle grip assembly, if necessary, free of charge. A modified grip end design has since been adopted by Yamaha, which has an added flange and a different part number than the previous, incorrect version. This alteration has already been made in Yamaha’s production line, and recalled bikes will have this revised part installed to replace the old one.
Additionally, if affected bike owners have already previously paid for a repair to address this issue, they may be eligible to receive reimbursement from Yamaha. To check a bike’s recall status, as well as ask any questions that riders may have regarding this recall, they should contact Yamaha Customer Relations at 1-866-894-1626. Yamaha’s number for this recall is 990156.
Dealer notification regarding this recall is expected on or about March 10, 2022 through March 14, 2022. Additionally, owner notification regarding this recall is expected on or about March 10, 2022 through March 14, 2022.
Owners may also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153) or go to www.nhtsa.gov.
