Yamaha Motor suspends YZF-R1 shipment amid improper noise testing issue

MANILA: Yamaha Motor Company Limited has halted the shipment of the YZF-R1 due to an issue involving the model’s noise testing procedure.

The Japanese motorcycle brand received a directive from the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism (MLIT) to investigate whether or not any misconduct happened when it submitted applications for model designations.

As a result, the Shizuoka-headquartered firm conducted an internal investigation that led to the discovery of two incidents of inappropriate handling during certification tests.

“We take incidents of wrongdoing very seriously and offer our deepest apologies to our customers, suppliers, business partners, and all other stakeholders for damaging their trust in Yamaha Motor,” the company said in a press release.

The Yamaha YZF-R1 — which was one of them — was said to have been tested with a different engine output rather than the one specified by regulations.

“The certification testing personnel performed the conditioning at a different engine output than specified by regulations due to the testing equipment melting due to heat,” Yamaha explained.

“The testers mistakenly judged that changing the engine output to avoid damaging the test equipment would not be a problem as long as it did not affect the durability and degradation of the sound-absorbing glass wool and satisfied the testing conditions for exhaust pressure, continuous operation, number of test cycles, and so on,” it added.

Nevertheless, Yamaha pointed out that it tested the YZF-R1 using the correct conditions and found it to still be “in compliance” with standards.

The other incident uncovered as a result of the investigation was the inappropriate handling of the sound pressure testing for horns for both the YZF-R3 (sold here in the Philippines) and TMax.

According to Yamaha, the personnel handling the applications for the said motorcycles entered the wrong vehicle identification number (VIN) “due to an incorrect understanding of the rules.”

Yamaha noted that when applying for model codes using test results from vehicles that use the same or similar horn and installation conditions, the VIN of the tested vehicle should be entered in the application along with a declaration that the performance of the tested vehicle is the same.

The personnel handling these applications instead entered the VIN of the motorcycles being applied for.

Unlike the YZF-R1, however, Yamaha will not suspend the shipment of both the YZF-R3 and TMax as it believes that there is no problem with the actual use of the vehicles in question.

Photos from Yamaha Motorsports United States and Yamaha Motor Philippines

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