RoadVitals

2005 Kawasaki KL650A19 Engine Problems

Owner-reported complaints naming the engine system, filed with NHTSA

Data refreshed

Engine reportsComplaints are reports submitted to NHTSA by owners and drivers. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a complaint does not establish that a defect exists. Volume is influenced by how many of a vehicle were sold, how long it has been on the road, and how much attention an issue has received.
8
Latest Sep 7, 2010
Share of all reportsThis category as a share of every owner report on file for this model year. One report can name more than one component, so the categories overlap.
80%
of 10 total
Crash or fire reportedReports in this category whose submitter recorded that a crash or a fire occurred. The reporter's own answer on the NHTSA form, not a verified finding.
0
Injuries or deaths reportedTotals the submitters entered on their own reports in this category. Not verified by NHTSA and not a casualty statistic.
0

What this page shows

Reports naming the engine itself — including stalling, misfires, oil consumption, cooling and internal engine components. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 2005 Kawasaki KL650A19 submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 8 reports on file name it.

Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.

Owner reports naming engine

Shown in the owner’s own words, exactly as filed

Engine
Filed Sep 7, 2010

BALANCE SHAFT TENSIONER ADJUST PLATE (DOOHICKEY) WAS FOUND IN THREE PIECES, TENSION SPRING ALSO IN TWO PIECES. *TR

NHTSA ID
10354083
Incident
Sep 7, 2010
Mileage
9,000 mi
Engine
Filed May 20, 2007

2005 KAWASAKI KLR 650 8,250 MILES. THE IDLER SHAFT LEVER (DOOHICKEY) RETENTION / RETURN SPRING WAS BROKEN. I OPENED THE CASE TO REPLACE THIS PART THAT HAS HAD PROBLEMS WITH FAILURE AND SURE ENOUGH MINE WAS BROKEN! HAD I NOT DONE THIS PREVENTIVE UPGRADE AND ADJUSTED THE LEVER AS PER MY REGULARLY SCHEDULED MAINTENANCE SCHEDULE. I COULD HAVE RUINED THE MOTOR DUE TO THE BROKEN PART! THIS IS COMMON KNOWLEDGE TO KLR RIDERS THAT THIS IS A DEFECT THAT KAWASAKI NEEDS TO ADDRESS. *TR

NHTSA ID
10191274
Incident
May 19, 2007
Mileage
8,250 mi
Engine
Filed Apr 14, 2007

BROKEN BALANCE SHAFT ADJUSTER SPRING , THREE PIECES , ON THE INSIDE OF THE MOTOR ON A 2005 KAWASAKI KLR 650 MOTORCYCLE WITH 9,034 MILES. THE BREAKING OF THIS SPRING OR THE ADJUSTER WAS WELL DOCUMENTED ON INTERNET SITES AND WILL UNDOUBTEDLY CAUSE SOMEONE TO BE INJURED OR KILLED AT SOME POINT. IF IT HAS NOT ALREADY HAPPENED. FORTUNATELY FOR ME AN UPGRADED ADJUSTER AND SPRING WAS PURCHASED, AS WELL AS THE NECESSARY TOOLS, AFTER THE PROBLEM WAS BROUGHT TO MY ATTENTION FROM VARIOUS WEB SITES. I DISCOVERED THE BROKEN PARTS, ( FORTUNATELY ), AND RETRIEVED THEM FROM THE MOTOR WHEN I PERFORMED THE UPGRADE. HAD I WAITED MUCH LONGER SERIOUS DAMAGE TO THE ENGINE AND/OR MYSELF WOULD HAVE OCCURRED. COST OF THE UPGRADE, NOT INCLUDING MY LABOR COST WAS OVER $100.00 FROM ALL THE INFORMATION THAT I HAVE GATHERED FROM OTHER OWNERS OF THIS SAME MODEL OF MOTORCYCLE, KAWASAKI WILL NOT ACKNOWLEDGE THE PROBLEM. WILL IT TAKE SEVERAL DEATHS (OR MORE), BEFORE THE PROBLEM IS ADDRESSED?*AK

NHTSA ID
10187854
Incident
Apr 12, 2007
Mileage
9,034 mi
EngineSteering
Filed Jul 29, 2006

I AM VERY UPSET WITH KAWASAKI'S KLR 650'S IDLER SHAFT ASSEMBLY EVERYONE I TALK TO HAS OR WILL HAVE TO REPLACE IT. THAT IS UNACCEPTABLE FROM A COMPANY AS BIG AS KAWASAKI. IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN RECALLED A LONG TIME AGO. I TOO, WILL BE SPENDING THE $200 TO FIX SOON. SOMETHING MUST BE DONE. THANK,YOU. I HOPE YOU WILL DO SOMETHING. *JB

NHTSA ID
10163888
Incident
Jul 29, 2006
Mileage
7,000 mi
Engine
Filed Jun 26, 2006

INDEPENDENT KAWASAKI KLR650 WEB SITES DESCRIBE INHERENT PROBLEMS WITH THE IDLER SHAFT LEVER AND SPRING WITHIN THE ENGINE. I OPENED UP THE ENGINE ON MY 2005 KLR 650 WITH 8795 MILES AND DISCOVERED THAT THE SPRING WAS BROKEN AND NO LONGER FUNCTIONAL. THIS CAN LEAD TO CATASTROPHIC ENGINE FAILURE AS THE CAMSHAFT CHAIN IS NO LONGER BEING TIGHTENED CORRECTLY. I THEN REPLACED THE IDLER SHAFT LEVER AND THE SPRING WITH AFTERMARKET PARTS. *JB

NHTSA ID
10160773
Incident
Jun 23, 2006
Mileage
8,795 mi
Engine
Filed Jun 17, 2006

THE BALANCER CHAIN ADJUSTER SPRING BROKE AND LODGED IN THE OIL SCREEN. *NM

NHTSA ID
10160063
Incident
May 10, 2006
Mileage
6,306 mi
Engine
Filed Jan 27, 2006

2005 KAWASAKI KLR 650 1,500 MILES. THE IDLER SHAFT LEVER (DOOHICKEY) RETENTION / RETURN SPRING WAS BROKEN. I OPENED THE CASE TO REPLACE THIS PART THAT HAS HAD PROBLEMS WITH FAILURE AND SURE ENOUGH MINE WAS BROKEN! GOOD THING I WAS DOING THE STITCH IN TIME. HAD I NOT DONE THIS PREVENTIVE UPGRADE AND ADJUSTED THE LEVER AS PER MY REGULARLY SCHEDULED MAINTENANCE SCHEDULE. I COULD HAVE RUINED MOTOR DUE TO THE BROKEN PART! WITH ENOUGH OF THESE FAILING THAT THIRD PARTY MANUFACTURES CAN ACTUALLY TURN A PROFIT MAKING REPLACEMENT PARTS, YOU WOULD THINK THAT KAWASAKI WOULD FIX THE PROBLEM!*AK

NHTSA ID
10148840
Incident
Jan 25, 2006
EngineSteering
Filed Jan 6, 2006

FAILURE OF THE IDLER SHAFT SPRING. *JB

NHTSA ID
10147119
Incident
Jan 6, 2006
Mileage
3,600 mi

Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers.

Elsewhere on this vehicle

Data sources

Data on this page last refreshed .