AI Damage2001 Yamaha XVS650: common problems
Owners of the 2001 Yamaha XVS650 filed 8 complaints with NHTSA, most often about powertrain and wheels. Details by component below, with sources.
Key figures
- Owner complaints
- 8
- involving a crash
- 2
What fails most often
- 1 Powertrain 38% of all complaints
- 2 Wheels 25% of all complaints
- 3 Seats 13% of all complaints
- 4 Service brakes 13% of all complaints
- 5 Structure 13% of all complaints
- Powertrain: 3 complaints (38% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Wheels: 2 complaints (25% of all).
- Seats: 1 complaints (13% of all).
- Service brakes: 1 complaints (13% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Structure: 1 complaints (13% of all).
Components owners complain about
| Component | Owner complaints | involving a crash | Technical service bulletins (TSB) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Powertrain | 3 | 1 | 0 |
| Wheels | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Seats | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Service brakes | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Structure | 1 | 0 | 0 |
What owners report
Short excerpts of NHTSA complaints in the original wording. These are owner statements not verified by NHTSA; personal data removed.
I was traveling at >30 mph on paved surface road. I had just made a left turn and was going through gears to accelerate to cruising speed. A dog entered the roadway and I applied both brakes to slow down.
Rear axle hub broke off while driving approximately 5 to 10 mph, causing the motorcycle to hit the rear end of another vehicle.
Consumer passenger seat came a loose and consumer fell off while traveling at 55 mph. The consumer received a recall letter from yamaha on april 16, 2007 but the letter was dated march 3, 2005. The consumer was informed the recall was sent to the original owner.
Dt*: the contact stated while driving 55mph eighteen of the rear wheel spokes snapped. Although, the vehicle wobbled it was driven safely from the road. The short spokes became loose prior to the incident and were tightened at an independent repair shop. After the incident the wheel was replaced by the mechanic.
Dt*: the contact stated while driving 65 mph the motorcycle started wobbling without warning. The vehicle was moved off the road and towed to an independent repair shop where it was determined the spokes were loose on the rear rim.
I'm sure that the crack occurred because of the vibration of the front fender during normal operation of the vehicle.
I have a 2001 yamaha v-star 650 classic motorcycle. Over time I began to hear a "major" howl coming from the engine area. Yamaha claimed they had no info. On any howl problem!! Later, on the yamaha v-star forum, I learned that there was a batch of 5th gears for the transmission, that were not heat treated correctly.
Fifth gear had to be replaced on my 2001 yamaha v star 650 classic motorcycle at 7000 miles. While cruising in fifth gear you would hear a loud chattering sound coming from beneath the bike. The dealer who did the repair stated that the gear and the drive gear were deformed as if something had ran through them.
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 11,896 of 36,656 model years in the NHTSA data (top 32% most complained about).
On average one model year of the XVS650 has 5 complaints (8 years in the data). This year has 8, above average.
What to check before buying
- Powertrain. Shift quality under load, harsh shifts, transmission codes, CV joints.
- Wheels. Wheel runout, cracks, signs of a wheel strike.
- Seats. Occupant sensor, power adjustment, seat mounts.
- Service brakes. Pedal feel, ABS operation, leaks, discs and hoses.
Other years of this model
Questions and answers
What are the most common problems with the 2001 Yamaha XVS650?
Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: powertrain, wheels, seats. Total complaints: 8. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: vibration (13%).
How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 2001 Yamaha XVS650?
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 XVS650 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.