AI Damage2001 Yamaha XVS1100: common problems
Owners of the 2001 Yamaha XVS1100 filed 7 complaints with NHTSA, most often about electrical system and powertrain. Details by component below, with sources.
Key figures
- Owner complaints
- 7
- involving a crash
- 2
What fails most often
- 1 Electrical system 57% of all complaints
- 2 Powertrain 29% of all complaints
- 3 Equipment 14% of all complaints
- Electrical system: 4 complaints (57% of all).
- Powertrain: 2 complaints (29% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Equipment: 1 complaints (14% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
Components owners complain about
| Component | Owner complaints | involving a crash | Technical service bulletins (TSB) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Electrical system | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| Powertrain | 2 | 1 | 0 |
| Equipment | 1 | 1 | 0 |
What owners report
Short excerpts of NHTSA complaints in the original wording. These are owner statements not verified by NHTSA; personal data removed.
2001 yamaha vstar middle drive shaft ubolt snapped. The middle gear locked causing the rear tire to lock while driving 55 mph. After inspection from mechanic discovered the u joint bolt snapped apparently many other people are reporting the same problem. Suffered only minor injury. Called yamaha and not recalls.
Consumer states that bike's floor boards folded up while riding, trapping consumer's foot. As a result, the bike crashed and consumer sustained several injuries. Mr scc
Shaft snaps under normal driving conditions and can be distinguished by a high pitch whine during deceleration as the broken-off shaft nut grinds against the drive shaft.
I have a 2001 yamaha v-star 1100 classic. My motorcycle is experiencing what appears to be a widespread problem with starters for this motorcycle model. Since the motorcycle is out of warranty, yamaha will not correct the problem.
The starter motor assembly of the yamaha v star 1100cc is defective, it causes the metal screw on the outside of the starter to bend and causing the motorcycle not to start due to kickback.
The vehicle had just passed the warranty date when the starter failed. The dealer was consulted along with the manufacturer, but neither would fix the problem unless the consumer paid for it.
When owners complained
NHTSA complaints by filing year. The peak shows at what age the problems show up most.
Comparison
By complaint count this model year ranks 12,538 of 36,656 model years in the NHTSA data (top 34% most complained about).
On average one model year of the XVS1100 has 6 complaints (8 years in the data). This year has 7, above average.
What to check before buying
- Electrical system. Scan all modules, test the battery and alternator, inspect connectors near the impact zone.
- Powertrain. Shift quality under load, harsh shifts, transmission codes, CV joints.
Other years of this model
Questions and answers
What are the most common problems with the 2001 Yamaha XVS1100?
Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: electrical system, powertrain, equipment. Total complaints: 7. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: knocking, grinding or other noise (14%).
How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 2001 Yamaha XVS1100?
NHTSA lists 0 manufacturer service bulletins for this year. A bulletin tells dealers how to diagnose or fix a known issue; it is not a recall.
Should I buy a 2001 Yamaha XVS1100 from a US auction?
Owner complaints describe defects, not crash damage. Before bidding, check the components listed above and review the lot photos: VinWind builds a report of visible and hidden damage by VIN.
Other 2001 models
Read also
Sources: public NHTSA data (USA): service bulletins and owner complaints; YouTube: links to videos credited to their authors. Complaints are owner statements not verified by NHTSA, and describe defects rather than crash damage. Data updated 2026-11-05.