[marthy]

View attachment 14916

Call me OCD if you want, but that's pretty damn course, even though its not visible at a distance.

That appears to me to be normal casting mark. Keep in mind the aluminum get pump in the die cast one end and go out by a small "bleed hole" on the other side. Not quite sure how a frame process goes but the die cast need to slip in 1/2 to remove the frame, if not more parts. I went to a foundry few time back in the days... when stuff come out of a mold its not pretty! Plenty of grinding involve...

The other stuff seems surface defects. I won't over react or wory too much but simply keep an eye on it. Take a pic now and in few weeks or months so you can compare or build yourself a case to show to the dealer down the road if really the frame is crack.

 

[alnbama]

With so many faults I'm starting to think it is a paint curing issue, but that is just throwing fuel on the fire. Time will tell. Sign off the forum, grab a beer and chill.

Ride Safe.

 

[SteveFZ-09]

My bike is still hibernating due to our lingering winter, and it not easily accessible, or I would take a good look at my frame tonight. However, I recall that there were a couple of imperfections in the finish of the frame, around intricate details, and they were present at purchase.

Just to be clear, I am not an expert in motorcycle frame manufacturing. However, I am a structural/bridge engineer that has been designing, inspecting and evaluating highway bridges and other highway structures for more than 20 years. I have viewed a lot of cast pieces and it is not uncommon to see superficial anomallies. There are numerous possible causes but most of the issues are due to workmanship and/or inferior materials and/or processes. For the cast pieces that I see, these defects are normally cosmetic and not detrimental to strength or durability.

I noticed the defects on my bike frame when I first took delivery in March 2014. I have been monitoring them for growth/changes. The bike was new, with no mileage on the odometer, and it has about 5,000 km on it now. The paint was not broken, nor was it before I parked the bike for winter. We have relatively high humidity during summer, and I saw no rust bleed from any of these areas. This leads me to believe that the marks are not cracks, at least not active cracks. Otherwise, they should open under heavy stress (breaking the paint) or repeatedly open and close as a result of cyclic loading. I believe that the surface defects on my bike frame were created when the frame was manufactured. I will continue to monitor them, but I believe that they are cosmetic.

My comments pertain to my bike, your situation could be entirely different. If you have any concerns you should do what is necessary to protect yourself, whether that means reporting the defects (to Yamaha and/or Dealer), photographing, monitoring, NDT, etc.

 

[Projectslowcus]

I wish I never saw this thread and just happily rode my bike without wondering if I was about to do a 70mph faceplate.

 

[Dpak]

All though I have never worked in a die casting industry. I have poured my share of aluminum castings back in my younger days. To me these could be areas of shrinkage. When shrinkage happens the metal is solidifying and some parts of mold have hardened
and some parts have not. So the thicker parts of the casting can get shrinkage cause the thin part is hardened and there is no pressure anymore in that part of the casting causing a void where the metal shrinks and it cannot completely fill the casting.
Shrinkage commonly happens in fillets and that is where most of those voids are. I am not saying for sure this is what it is but that's what it looks like to me. Shrinkage is sometimes considered cosmetic in some cases and allowed to pass inspection processes.

 

[Cecil]

I wish I never saw this thread and just happily rode my bike without wondering if I was about to do a 70mph faceplate.

Yes, and the recall thread too!

 

[Dalex]

Shoots I'm sorry guys hope didn't get everyone all paranoid :/

 

[cyberrang]

I was worried about the same thing here.

 

[Fizzerpilot]

I just find it odd, that it only appears on later model bikes... So, they changed something.

My manufacture date is 12/13...

Before things went sideways!

 

[Projectslowcus]

I'd like everyone who had the issue to chime in. That way I can present this to my dealer

 

[Fizzerpilot]

Also, post up your build date, since it doesn't affect all bikes, it would be nice to see the range of dates.

 

[ryderjay]

My only additional input to this the flaws people are seeing would have to have been during production, not post production. Powder coating is strong, if this were stress cracks the powder coat would be able to be chipped and often you'd have a decent cavity. Take a business card, if it can be inserted then it's a crack post production (this doesn't completely rule out a crack obviously lol). These look like casting imperfections which then were coated over. Unless the die cast was cracked these would not be cracks. The die test won't tell you if its a cracked part that was coated over because the powder coat will prevent it was from penetrating.

Edit: also forgot to mention that frame cracks are typically much "cleaner" in appearance than what I'm seeing on the effected models.


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[SliderR1]

my build date is 7/14. My bike has it on the right side and a few small ones near the steering head - I'm satisfied its a casting flaw and not structural.

 

[Tigershark]

I have exactly the same marks as Lateralus on my 2015. They have to be mold marks to all be identical. It still warrants a trip to the dealership for documentation. Yamaha should be all over their suppliers and their own incoming inspection on this. If I couldn't compare with all the other postings, I would really think they are cracks. Comparing left side to right side reinforces a defective die.

Everybody having these defects needs to file a complaint.

 

[cyberrang]

I got my bike some times, in mid 2014.
This I had it on the bike since day one. But since it didn't get worst (like a crack would),and also seeing that so many others having the same mark on them bikes,thinking it's not a really big deal or Yamaha wouldn't let so many errors pass theirs pre sell inspection.

 

[sparker]

After sleeping on it, I looked at the bike again. It is all over the frame to varying degrees, especially near the steering head. I'm pretty confident at this point, after seeing how many models are affected that they had to know it was there, inspect it and call it "good".

At first I thought it was only the right half of the frame, but take a look at the left side near the fork mount area it is all over the place.

Built 7/14

 

[alnbama]

I went by my dealer this a.m. After discussing the areas on my bike we looked at a very early bike that was in the shop. We were able to find some similar marks on a 13 build bike. I asked about the injection molding process. He offered that he did not think frame parts were injection molded and that they were sandcast. The grinding work, hand finishing, or what ever you want to call it, we see in some of the posted images seems to bear this out. He told me just to keep an eye on the areas. So I'm not going to worry too
much about it and enjoy the machine.

The shift shaft is still an intent to recall, has anyone received a actual letter?

Ride Safe.

 

[Stoltec Moto]

I asked about the injection molding process. He offered that he did not think frame parts were injection molded and that they were sandcast. The grinding work, hand finishing, or what ever you want to call it, we see in some of the posted images seems to bear this out. He told me just to keep an eye on the areas.

The frame is most definitely die cast, not sand. Injection molding pertains to plastics. Either way, good on you for bringing it to their attention. Keep us posted.

 

[EdVR]

Shoots I'm sorry guys hope didn't get everyone all paranoid :/

Well I'm not paranoid. I don't even plan to go to the garage and look. I figure if it becomes a problem, there are enough eyes now looking at it that I will hear about it.

 

[alnbama]

The frame is most definitely die cast, not sand. Injection molding pertains to plastics. Either way, good on you for bringing it to their attention. Keep us posted.

I stand dejected! And I agree I mis-typed and I was referring to the die cast procedure Yamaha uses. See the link in my post #39 (I think) in this thread. The dealer said sand, and I was not going to argue with him.

His day was not starting good, as the other Z-09 we looked at appeared to have been looped by the owner, then shizen repair on the radiator, everything else was lightly hammered, so that it was overheating and missing at idle, possible warranty repair for the head gasket.

I was a very early bike, with less than 700 miles, owner or the bike was new rider, female, he did not sell the bike to her.

Ride Safe.