2000 Kawasaki KLR650 Recalls & Complaints

Incident: February 2, 2014 · Filed: February 3, 2014

THE TORSION SPRING ON MY KLR 650 FAILED. THIS IS A MAJOR PROBLEM AND HAPPENS TO ALOT OF KLR 650 OWNERS. LUCKY FOR ME IT DIDN'T CAUSE THE ENGINE TO SEIZE WHILE I WAS RIDING. *TR

Incident: March 23, 2006 · Filed: March 24, 2006

I HAVE ONLY OWNED THIS 2000 KAWASAKI KLR650 FOR A FEW MONTHS NOW AND HAD 8766 MILES AT THE TIME! I HAD READ ON THE INTERNET THAT THE IDLER SHAFT LEVER(KAWASAKI PART NO. 13168-1436) AND SPRING(KAWASAKI PART NO. 92144-1860) PUT IN EVERY KLR650 SINCE 1996 WERE PRONE TO FAILURE. DUE TO POOR QUALITY STEEL AND POOR MANUFACTURING! WHICH CAN CAUSE THE TIMING CHAIN TO SEIZE, WHICH RESULTS IN THE ENGINE SEIZING, AND IF THIS WERE TO HAPPEN WHILE RIDING WOULD CAUSE THE REAR WHEEL TO SEIZE. WHICH WOULD CAUSE DAMAGE, INJURY, POSSIBLY AN ACCIDENT AND DEATH! SURE ENOUGH A FRIEND OF MINE WHO IS A MOTORCYCLE MECHANIC HELPED ME CHECK INTO THIS AND WE DID FIND THAT MY IDLER SHAFT LEVER WAS INDEED BROKEN, MY SPRING WAS MISSING AND MY TIMING CHAIN WAS BARELY HANGING ON!!! LIKE I SAID MINE ONLY HAD 8766 MILES BUT THE PART HAD FAILED WAY BEFORE THAT AND I HAVE READ ON THE INTERNET THAT THEY HAVE FAILED WITH LESS THAN 2000 MILES. I AM STILL IN THE PROCESS OF TRYING TO FIND THE SPRING AND OTHER PIECES OF THE IDLER SHAFT LEVER IN SIDE THE ENGINE! TO FIX THIS I REPLACED THE BROKEN IDLER SHAFT LEVER WITH A PROFESSIONALS MACHINED 1 PIECE OUT OF STAINLESS STEEL MADE BY WWW.EAGLE-M-E.COM AND REPLACED THE SPRING WITH A NEW ONE ALSO FROM WWW.EAGLE-M-E.COM. *JB

Incident: December 8, 2001 · Filed: December 17, 2004

THE CLASSIC KAWASAKI KLR 650 BALANCE SHAFT TENSIONER FAILURE. 2000 MODEL YEAR MOTORCYCLE MAINTAINED AS PER FACTORY RECOMMENDATIONS BROKE A BALANCE SHAFT SYSTEM. OCCURRED AT LOW SPEED SO IT WAS NOT DANGEROUS AS IF IT HAPPENED AT SPEED. THAT WAS THE FIRST FAILURE. RECENTLY I FOUND IT WAS CRACKED DURING SERVICE OF THE WATER PUMP. INSTALLED THE 3RD ADJUSTER AT THAT POINT. RECENTLY I FOUND AFTERMARKET PARTS TO PREVENT FUTURE FAILURES AS THIS IS ACTUALLY A VERY COMMON PROBLEM ON THESE MOTORCYCLES AS THE GET HIGH IN MILES. AT THIS POINT I HAVE HAD 2 FAILURES OF A PART THAT IS A VERY WELL KNOWN ABOUT. JUST LOOK AT "KNOWN ISSUES" HERE HTTP://WWW.BIGCEE.COM/KLR650FAQ.HTML#INTAKE. *JB

Incident: August 7, 2003 · Filed: December 29, 2003

BROKEN DOOHICKEY INSIDE MOTOR. *AK

Incident: August 9, 2003 · Filed: August 14, 2003

I OWN A 2000 KAWASAKI KLR 650 DUAL SPORT MOTORCYCLE WHICH I PURCHASED NEW. I HAVE KEPT UP WITH SCHEDULED MAINTENANCE AS REQUIRED. THE IDLER SHAFT LEVER AND IDLER SHAFT SPRING WERE BOTH BROKEN. THERE WERE 3 BROKEN ENGINE PARTS INSIDE THE CRANKCASE WHICH CAN CAUSE THE ENGINE TO LOCK UP. THE DEALERSHIP WAS MADE AWARE OF THIS PROBLEM.*AK

Incident: November 1, 2002 · Filed: June 27, 2003

I OWN A 2000 KAWASAKI 650 KLR DUAL SPORT MOTORCYCLE (I AM THE ORIGINAL OWNER), I HAVE KEPT UP WITH SCHEDULED MAINTENANCE...THE SAME PART(S) FAILED TWICE WITHIN THE ENGINE, CAUSING METAL PART FRAGMENTS TO GET CIRCULATED WITHIN ENGINE CASING DAMAGING ENGINE PARTS , WHICH COULD HAVE LED TO DANGEROUS FAILURE OF MOTOR WHILE RIDING... THE PARTS THAT FAILED WERE THE IDLER SHAFT LEVER AND IDLER SHAFT SPRING FIRST INCIDENT OCCURRED NOVEMBER/2002 SECOND INCIDENT OCCURRED JUNE/2003. *JB

Incident: September 7, 2002 · Filed: January 13, 2003

TRANSMISSION LOCKED UP WHILE GOING 50 MPH DOWN A GRAVEL ROAD. REAR WHEEL LOCKED UP CAUSING AN UNCONTROLLED SLIDE TO A STOP. JUST GOT OFF THE FREEWAY DOING 75 MPH

Incident: May 1, 2002 · Filed: January 10, 2003

THIS INVOLVES ENGINE PART #13168-1436 (LEVER, IDLER SHAFT) IN THE ADJUSTMENT MECHANISM OF THE ENGINE'S BALANCER TENSIONER SYSTEM. I HAVE REMOVED A FAILED LEVER, IDLER SHAFT FROM MY KLR650 ENGINE. I HAVE ALSO ASSISTED IN THE INSPECTION OF THIS PART IN OTHER KLR650 ENGINES AND HAVE FOUND OTHER INSTANCES OF FAILURE. IN MY EXPERIENCE, THIS COMPONENT HAS TWO MODES OF FAILURE: WELD SEPARATION, AND BREAKAGE OF THE TOROIDAL-SHAPED SECTION THAT MATES WITH #39115-1077 (SHAFT-IDLER). KAWASAKI CUSTOMER SERVICE HAS PLACED THE BLAME FOR THE FAILURE OF THIS COMPONENT ONTO THEIR CUSTOMERS FOR NOT HAVING PERFORMED THEIR ENGINE MAINTENANCE IN A TIMELY FASHION. ON THE CONTRARY, THE VERY ACT OF ADJUSTING THIS MECHANISM MAY PRECIPITATE COMPONENT FAILURE. THE PROPER ADJUSTMENT OF THIS MECHANISM INVOLVES THE LOOSENING AND RE-TIGHTENING OF ADJUSTER BOLT #92150-1394 (BOLT,6X16). THE LOOSENING OF THIS BOLT ANY FURTHER THAN 2 TURNS OR SO PERMITS THE LEVER, IDLER SHAFT TO PARTIALLY/COMPLETELY DISENGAGE SHAFT-IDLER AND SLIDE DOWNWARD AND OUT OF ALIGNMENT WITH THE MATING SURFACES OF SHAFT-IDLER. THE RE-TIGHTENING OF BOLT,6X16 CAUSES THE LEVER, IDLER SHAFT TO BECOME WEDGED OR BREAK IF THE RECOMMENDED TORQUE IS APPLIED TO THIS BOLT. FAILURE NOT IN CONNECTION WITH THE ADJUSTMENT PROCEDURE HAS ALSO BEEN OBSERVED. LEVER, IDLER SHAFT MATES ONTO SHAFT-IDLER WITH A VERY LOOSE FIT. THE NORMAL CRANKSHAFT SPEED VARIATIONS PRESENT IN A SINGLE CYLINDER ENGINE ARE LIKELY TO PROMOTE COUNTERBALANCER DRIVE CHAIN WHIP WHICH IN TURN CAUSES A CYCLIC ROTATION OF SHAFT-IDLER. THIS MOVEMENT IS ARRESTED BY LEVER, IDLER SHAFT WHICH EVENTUALLY FAILS FROM THE RESULTING FATIGUE. A BETTER FIT OF LEVER, IDLER SHAFT ONTO SHAFT-IDLER WOULD SUPPRESS THIS DAMAGING ROTATION. I BELIEVE THAT THESE ISSUES PRESENT SAFETY HAZARDS DUE TO THE STRONG POSSIBILITY OF ONE OR MORE OF THESE FAILED COMPONENTS BECOMING SHRAPNEL AND CAUSING THE BREAKAGE OR DERAILMENT OF THE COUNTERBALANCER AND/OR CAMSHAFT DRIVE CHAINS.