Recall on 2018 Yamaha MT-07 and XSR700

A loose chain guard bolt is at fault

Yamaha just issued a recall on some 2018 models—the MT-07J, MT-07JC, XR700J, and the XSR700JC. 3,493 units are concerned in the United States versus only 805 in Canada. The culprit? a rogue chain guard.

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The bolt that fixes the chain guard to the swingarm on some of the bikes targetted by the recall could loosen up due to vibration. This could, in turn, cause the guard to come in contact with the chain—not exactly a situation you want to be in. The recall was officially issued this month and owners of the models at risk will be contacted by Yamaha.

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For those who do not wish to wait for the call, you may contact your Yamaha dealer or Yamaha's customer service at 1-800-962-7926 for further information. Yamaha's recall number is 990120. The dealers will replace the chain guard bolts free of charge. You may also contact the NHTSA for any inquiries at 1-888-327-4236. Further information is also available online.

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This is the latest in a string of recalls for small yet potentially dangerous issues for Yamaha. Back at the beginning of 2017, Team Blue recalled a bunch of FZ-09, FJ-09, and XSR900 models built between 2015 and 2017 for loose nuts in the handlebar assembly. In 2016 the company recalled 2015-2016 YZF-R3 F/G models for two separate issues—one transmission-related and one oil pump-related. Yamaha handled those recalls swiftly and with aplomb, and we expect the same here with this loose chain guard situation. If you missed these previous Yamaha recalls and you have one of the affected bikes, you should definitely have that checked out.

Sources: Yamaha, NHTSA