IllustrationMOTORCYCLE 2004 YAMAHA R1 THE MOTORCYCLE ENGINE CUTS OUT AND STARTS TO SURGE, AT IDLE THE RPMS DROP BY HALF AND USUALLY DIES TOTALLY. THIS HAPPENS ANYWHERE I STOP AND LET OFF THE GAS. I HAVE ALMOST WRECKED NUMEROUS TIMES BECAUSE OF THIS. IT STARTED ABOUT 1 YEAR AGO AT ABOUT 3000 MILES ON THE ODOMETER. *JB
2004 Yamaha YZF-R1
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
Limited comparison data
There is not enough comparable history to draw a useful model-year comparison.
About this comparison →How this year compares
Owner complaints by model year
Compare all YZF-R1 years →Counts vary with age, sales and reporting. They are not failure rates.
What owners reported most
All reported categories
Tap a category to read its complaints. One report may name several components.
When problems were reported
Mileage at the reported incident
330–25K
025–50K
150–75K
075–100K
0100–150K
0150K+
34 reports with mileage · 3 unknown
NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.
What to inspect
Issues worth paying extra attention to based on owner reports.
- Electrical System. Review the 19 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Engine And Engine Cooling. Review the 7 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Fuel System, Gasoline. Review the 6 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
6 crash reports0 fire reports6 injury reports
Engine And Engine Cooling complaints
7 reportsMOTORCYCLE SURGES HEAVILY GOING DOWN THE ROAD, STALLS AT EVERY STOP SIGN, IT WILL STALL OUT IN TRAFFIC, THE MOTORCYCLE ALSO WILL STALL OUT WHEN GOING AROUND TURNS WHICH IS ALSO VERY DANGEROUS. NOTHING HAS BEEN DONE TO CORRECT THE ISSUE BECAUSE THE DEALER DOESN'T KNOW WHAT'S WRONG WITH IT.*JB
INTERMITTENT ENGINE SHUTDOWN. YAMAHA 2004 R1 MOTORCYCLE. *NM
IN THE SUMMER OF 2005, WHILE RIDING MID-TURN, MY 2004 YAMAHA YZF-R1 LURCHED AND CUT-OUT CAUSING ME TO LOW SIDE MY MOTORCYCLE. I RECEIVED MINOR INJURIES AND MY MOTORCYCLE WAS WRECKED AND IS BRANDED SALVAGE ON THE TITLE. AFTER THE INCIDENT AND REPAIRING MY BIKE, APPROXIMATELY TWO WEEKS LATER IT DID THE SAME THING IN TRAFFIC. THE B…
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IN THE SUMMER OF 2005, WHILE RIDING MID-TURN, MY 2004 YAMAHA YZF-R1 LURCHED AND CUT-OUT CAUSING ME TO LOW SIDE MY MOTORCYCLE. I RECEIVED MINOR INJURIES AND MY MOTORCYCLE WAS WRECKED AND IS BRANDED SALVAGE ON THE TITLE. AFTER THE INCIDENT AND REPAIRING MY BIKE, APPROXIMATELY TWO WEEKS LATER IT DID THE SAME THING IN TRAFFIC. THE BIKE WILL RUN VERY ROUGH, THE RPM'S WILL DROP, AND THEN THE BIKE WILL CUT-OUT. LOOKING ON THE INTERNET, I HAVE FOUND THAT I AM NOT THE ONLY ONE WITH THIS PROBLEM, BUT ONE OF MANY. THIS PROBLEM STARTS TO OCCUR AROUND THE 5000 MILE MARK ON THE BIKE. THEIR ARE MANY ANSWERS TO THE PROBLEM, BUT NOT TRUE SOLUTIONS. I ONLY WISH THAT THE PROBLEM HAD NOT ARISEN MID-TURN COSTING ME SO DEARLY. THIS IS DEFINITELY A SAFETY ISSUE AS I AM NOT THE ONLY ONE WHO HAS CRASHED AND WHO KNOWS WHAT LIVES HAVE BEEN TAKEN DUE THIS MALFUNCTION. ONE SOLUTION RECOMMENDED IS THE REPLACEMENT OF THE TPS VALVES. I HAVE YET TO DO THIS SINCE I AM CURRENTLY IN IRAQ, BUT WILL AS SOON AS I RETURN TO THE STATES. THERE IS A WEBSITE DEVOTED TO THIS BIKE AND A VERY EXTENSIVE BLOG ON THIS ISSUE ALONE. THE LINK IS (HTTP://WWW.R1-FORUM.COM/FORUMS/SHOWTHREAD.PHP?S=A1D00CA84E6AB575C634E815B9AC2688&THREADID=98831&PERPAGE=20&PAGENUMBER=66) AND HAS OVER 66 PAGES OF INFORMATION AND COMPLAINTS DUE THIS PROBLEM. *JB
THIS FALL MY 2004 YZF R1(YAMAHA MOTORCYCLE) CUT OUR TWICE AT 60 MPH. I WAS LUCKY IN THE FACT THAT I WAS JUST GOING STRAIGHT ON THE HIGHWAY. IF I HAD BEEN GOING ON A TIGHT CURVE THE OUT COME WOULD HAVE BEEN DIFFERENT. WHEN THE ENGINE CUTS OUT IT'S LIKE SLAMMING ON THE REAR BRAKE OR "ENGINE BRAKING", AND ON A CORNER THIS WOULD MAK…
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THIS FALL MY 2004 YZF R1(YAMAHA MOTORCYCLE) CUT OUR TWICE AT 60 MPH. I WAS LUCKY IN THE FACT THAT I WAS JUST GOING STRAIGHT ON THE HIGHWAY. IF I HAD BEEN GOING ON A TIGHT CURVE THE OUT COME WOULD HAVE BEEN DIFFERENT. WHEN THE ENGINE CUTS OUT IT'S LIKE SLAMMING ON THE REAR BRAKE OR "ENGINE BRAKING", AND ON A CORNER THIS WOULD MAKE YOU WIPE OUT. TALKED TO THE YAMAHA DEALERSHIP IN TOWN BUT THEY HAD NEVER HEARD OF THIS PROBLEM BUT I KNOW OF OTHER PEOPLE THAT HAVE HAD THIS PROBLEM. THIS IS DANGEROUS AND NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED. I BOUGHT THE BIKE NEW IN MARCH 2004 AND NOW HAS 7900 MILES ON IT. *JB
WHILE DRIVING AT VARIOUS SPEEDS ENGINE STALLED. CONSUMER TOOK VEHICLE TO DEALER FOR INSPECTION SEVERAL TIMES, BUT THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE COULD NOT BE DETERMINED.*AK *BF *NM
WHILE RIDING AT 70 MPH MOTORCYCLE LOST CONSIDERABLE POWER AND STARTED TICKING LOUDLY. CONSUMER EXAMINED THE MOTORCYCLE BUT COULD FIND THE CAUSE OF THE PROBLEM. DEALER INSPECTED THE VEHICLE AND FOUND THAT THE ENGINE BLEW OUT. THEN, CONSUMER DISCOVERED THAT BEFORE THE MOTORCYCLE WAS BOUGHT MOTOR BLEW OUT ONCE, AND WAS REPLAC…
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WHILE RIDING AT 70 MPH MOTORCYCLE LOST CONSIDERABLE POWER AND STARTED TICKING LOUDLY. CONSUMER EXAMINED THE MOTORCYCLE BUT COULD FIND THE CAUSE OF THE PROBLEM. DEALER INSPECTED THE VEHICLE AND FOUND THAT THE ENGINE BLEW OUT. THEN, CONSUMER DISCOVERED THAT BEFORE THE MOTORCYCLE WAS BOUGHT MOTOR BLEW OUT ONCE, AND WAS REPLACED. *AK
Official recalls
106V371000 · Vehicle Speed Control
Sep 28, 2006
ON CERTAIN MOTORCYCLES, AN IMPROPERLY DESIGNED THROTTLE POSITION SENSOR COULD CAUSE AN INTERMITTENTLY UNSTABLE IDLE WHEN THE ENGINE IS AT IDLING SPEED WHEN THE MOTORCYCLE IS STOPPED OR DURING LOW-SPEED OPERATIONS. THE ENGINE COULD STALL AS A RESULT.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: IF THE ENGINE STALLS AFTER THE OPERATOR DISENGAGES THE CLUTCH IN A LOW GEAR WHILE RIDING, THE REAR TIRE MIGHT SLIP MOMENTARILY IF THE OPERATOR ABRUPTLY RE-ENGAGES THE CLUTCH. THIS COULD RESULT IN A CRASH WITH INJURY OR DEATH.
Remedy: DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE THROTTLE POSITION SENSOR FREE OF CHARGE. THE RECALL BEGAN ON OCTOBER 16, 2006. OWNERS MAY CONTACT YAMAHA AT 1-888-88-YAMAHA.
Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗
NHTSA investigations
1PE06020 · Motorcycle Stalling
Opened May 23, 2006 · Closed Oct 5, 2006
Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Fuel System, Other:fuel Injection System
OPERATORS REPORT THE MOTORCYCLE STALLS WHEN ROLLING OFF THE THROTTLE (E.G., TIP-OUT STALL WHILE APPROACHING A STOP) ALLEGEDLY DUE TO A FAULTY THROTTLE POSITION SENSOR (TPS).TO CORRECT THIS CONDITION, YAMAHA IS RECALLING THE SUBJECT VEHICLES TO INSTALL AN IMPROVED TPS.