On October 15, 2021, Yamaha Motor Corporation USA issued a safety recall notice for certain 2020 and 2021 Bolt motorcycles due to a possible crankcase porosity issue. In affected units, the crankcase may be porous near a bolt location toward the bottom of the piece, which could cause oil to leak out onto the rear tire. This, in turn, could cause the rider to lose control of their bike, resulting in injury and/or death.   

Approximately 233 bikes are believed to be involved in this recall, which Yamaha says is about four percent of bikes produced. The affected range was made between August 15, 2019 and May 14, 2021. Affected VINs range from JYAVN05E0LA015491 to JYAVN05YXLA004234 (non-sequential) and JYAVN05E0MA015475 to JYAVN05YXMA004316.  

The issue was caused by improper application of a mold-release agent in the manufacturing process, which resulted in casting temperature irregularities in affected crankcases. This, in turn, means that some crankcases may unexpectedly be porous in the area surrounding a bottom bolt location. 

Warning signs that owners may notice include unexplained oil seepage, either on the engine itself or as small droplets on the ground beneath the bike wherever it’s parked. Yamaha advises that the porosity issue is not something that can be observed with the naked eye.  

Your local authorized Yamaha dealer will thoroughly inspect affected units for this porosity and oil leak. Inspection and repair, if necessary, will be performed free of charge to the customer. Yamaha Motor Corporation USA will notify dealers about this recall between October 29 and November 1, 2021. Additionally, Yamaha says it will notify registered owners of affected bikes about this recall between October 29 and November 1, 2021. 

Owners should not ride their affected Bolts until they have been repaired. Yamaha’s number for this recall is 990150, and owners can contact Yamaha customer service at 1-800-962-7926. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s campaign number for this recall is 21V-806. Owners may also contact the NHTSA Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153) or go to www.nhtsa.gov.  

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