Had a BIG failure on my '03 WR450 today. Key?

[Indy_WR450]

Keep your fingers crossed and you stay off the brakes. ? :D

[YZ426guy]

Here's the update... I finally got the rotor off the bike. It was NOT a woodruff key failure. Everything was loctited. As a matter of fact, just getting the rotor off was very difficult. Anyway, the starter clutch and starter clutch gear (directly behind the rotor) were locked up. It appears that when I tried to start the bike, it coughed at the wrong moment and caused the gear/clutch assembly to do something it shouldn't have.

The engine wouldn't even turn over using the kick starter because the starter clutch gear was making metal to metal contact with the cam chain tensioner holder clamp. Crazy. Once I got all the parts off, the bike then could be kicked over ? Good news, for sure. The total for the parts needed (gasket, starter clutch, starter clutch gear) is about $135.

Yamaha needs to step up to the plate and help out us 2003 WR owners.

[Indy_WR450]

It is still the same design problem. It is just cheaper to put in a new key until it happens again for most of us that have had the woodruf key failure. You might as well order the 04 starter gear upgrade and remove the starter gear and just use the kick starter for now. ?

[endurodog]

Glad you figured it out. Thats what it sounded like to me in your orginal post.

[mtrablue]

glad to see you found the problem. when you get some time, send yamaha a letter. it wouldn't hurt to have your dealer tell the local service rep what happened. so far they refuse to admit there is a problem. we gotta keep trying. okay, i'll put away the soap box. have a good new year.