2006-2007 Yamaha R6 Class Action

ROTFLMAO I'm dying here!!

 

Maybe you can't steer it, butt others...

 

Yep. :up:

 

Yamaha should have put dual radiators on the sides of the R6 to protect the fuel tank.

 

took 4 pages to get to this point?
a motorcycle, burst into flames in a crash.
How many other motorcycles that you know have burst into flames in a crash?
Not just motorcycles, but the same year and model of motorcycle on multiple instances, burst into flames in a crash?

I think theres a problem that needs to be fixed. Is this lawsuit going to fix it? No. But what if the guy who crashed at the gap and had his bike burst into flames died from his burn injuries? Would it take his familie's lawsuite for a change to be made?

 

No, and not sure where you get that from what I said. I'm saying that a bike is designed to operate in a non-crashing manner. Once you deviate from that, i.e. crash, all bets are off. There aren't airbags, crumple zones, etc.

Do they burst into flames every time they crash? If they did, then I would agree that it's a design flaw. The truth is, they don't. In fact, when you take into account all of the 06-07 R6s that have been crashed, laid down, etc, I think the percentage of bikes that have erupted into flames is very very very very low.

If my street bike breaks a mirror when it falls on it's side, is that a design flaw?

 

I'm sure that during testing Yamaha made sure that nothing on the bike would cause serious injury when operated under a normal riding condition and/ or track condition. Making sure hard parts don't drag is probably the main concern. Folding foot pegs with feelers help keep hard parts from lifting the bike's wheels off the ground.

I'm welling to bet they couldn't replicate the exploding fuel tank during testing. Sure it's not the best design, now that many people have tested it under the most extreme conditions. I havn't seen the new R6 yet but I would think the fuel tank design has changed enough to remedy the problem.

 

Was it alone in the forest?

 

Lawsuits should always be a last resort. I spent 3 months, 10+ phone calls, 2 letters, and 5 emails corresponding with their customer service in which I never made any demand. I initially called to inform them that I was a loyal Yamaha R6 customer and fan of their bikes, that I had raced 3 of them along with a recent-model Kawi ZX6rr. I also told them (as Rocky pointed out) that I had crashed every bike before this one mulitple times and expected to have to pay for the damage. I even blew my R6 motor that same weekend (I was on a borrowed bike at the time) and wouldnt even think about asking something from them since it was a motor meant for racing.

I fully expect to pay for crash damage....I've done so numerous times on other bikes.

What I asked is if they would give me a discount (even just a small amount off for a racer discount similar to Ducati or Kawi) on a new 2008 bike since their protruding gas tank and the fire had destroyed the entire bike on what otherwise would have been relatively minor repairs.

 

Oh sure...I say that three times and I get drilled...you say it and everyone agrees. I see how it is...

 

Cuz only slow folks ride Triumphs?

 

Not sure it matters whose bike it was --- he still had to pay for it either way.

 

Once again, only a fine company like Honda has the forethought to protect the tank with lightweight collapsing radiators on the sides.

 

How many reports have you seen on 99-05 R6s bursting on fire after a crash? How about 06-07 GSXR600s? Do you think the case is on the 06-07 R6s are just very unlikely coincidences that have somehow repeated themselves?

By the way, I have no way to verify this but I would bet that not every Ford Pinto accident resulted in a ball of fire either. That did not mean the car was not poorly designed.

 

Well, them and Buell...