Canadian 03 WR450 dealer support?

[ETP]

Question for you Canadian 2003 WR450 owners.

How are the Canadian dealers handling this this woodruff key/starter issue these days? (I called mine right after the S.B. came out and they said they couldn't help) Is it any better than here in the states? Discounts on 04 upgrade parts? Anything?

Thanks.... ?

[Indy_WR450]

The internet will make our voices heard but Yamaha is living in the past and with their heads in the sand if they think they dont need to care about Internet forums! This attitude Yamaha customer service has can be found even worse in the states then in Canada. I just dont understand why they dont fix the 03's for good will and contiuned brand loyalty. I have owned all four japanese brands but (Yamahas the most) since the 70's and I had developed a loyalty to Yamaha over the last 30 years and have been on Yamahas only in the last 15 years. I can honestly say that I am questioning my loyalty. I am going to have to look at the CRF450X in a few years when I buy my next dirt bike. ?

[ETP]

I assume that you Canadian WR450 owners have not commented on this because you are just as frustrated as the U.S. owners.

Before these newly designed bikes even left Japan I made a decision to buy from Canada, because of registation issues here in CA (at that time,) knowing that the warranty would not be honored here in the U.S. I had faith in Yamaha and got burned. Its a great bike, but next time a re-design comes out, I'm waiting and might switch colors myself.

The other manufacture's new bikes have problems, wonder how they are being handled.

[Indy_WR450]

From what I have seen Honda has a better response to mass problems. For example they recalled components to air boxes on the CRF450's due to potential backfire fire. Titanium valves on the CRF450's have been replaced with Stainless Steel ones that work. etc. I dont have all the details but it seems that Honda is more customer supportive. I think i will see how the CRF450X does the first year and then buy the 2nd year model. I like the lower seat height and lower center of gravity feel of the Honda. I just dont like MX bike set up for my riding needs. ?

[kywr450r]

I'm going to follow Indy's path on selecting my new bike. I have never seen such a case of a manufacturer walking away from a known design flaw(s). Then, after the flaw hits the press, have the edacity to blatantly state to its customers..."our problem is now your problem". Yamaha has not done one proactive thing to help its 03 WR450 customers. In fact, they denied the woodruff problems until the press slammed them at the peak of their sales period last year. That is, only when Yamaha feared that their pocketbook would shrink did they put out a TSB on the woodruff problem. They are even less helpful (non-existent) on fixing their flawed starter problem. One heck of a customer service approach…”hey, consumer, please spend another $500 of your money to purchase replacement starter parts for the defective one we made last year and give us 20-50% margin on the parts while you are at it”.

Hopefully, my pocketbook and patients will hold up with my Yamaha’s lemon ’03 WR450. I also want to keep it until the CFR450x’s are out…if not, I’ll give up a few ponies and go with a CRF250x. In either case, I’ll never ride blue again. In fact, I just went Red on my son’s new bike two weeks ago (he wanted to ride blue like his dad) and when it comes time to trade in a bike deemed a “lemon – 03 WR450 - very poor residual value” by the press, I’ll be glowing Red… so bright, it might even be KTM Orange. ?