Engine
Filed Jun 24, 2005
THE CHAIN IDLER SHAFT ADJUSTER ON MY KLR HAS BROKEN.
- NHTSA ID
- 10126457
- Incident
- Jun 20, 2005
- Mileage
- 4,150 mi
1998 Kawasaki KLR650
Recalls, owner-reported complaints, investigations and safety data
Data refreshed
Owner complaintsComplaints 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.
6
Latest Jun 24, 2005
Safety recallsA safety recall is issued when a manufacturer or NHTSA determines that a vehicle has a safety-related defect or does not comply with a federal motor vehicle safety standard. Recall repairs are free. Whether a specific vehicle is covered depends on its VIN — a recall listed for a model year does not necessarily apply to every vehicle of that year.
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InvestigationsNHTSA opens an investigation to examine whether a safety defect may exist. An open investigation is not a determination that a defect exists, and many investigations close without a recall. Investigations can, however, lead to one.
0
Crash or fire reportedComplaints whose submitter recorded that a crash or a fire occurred. These are the reporter's own answers on the NHTSA form, not verified findings.
0
Overview
Our database contains 6 NHTSA owner-reported complaints for the 1998 Kawasaki KLR650, most frequently naming the engine, fuel system and transmission categories. 1 manufacturer communication is on file.
Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.
Complaint activity over time
When owners filed reports about this model year
View as table
| Month | Complaints filed | Cumulative |
|---|---|---|
| Jan 2003 | 1 | 1 |
| May 2003 | 1 | 2 |
| Jun 2003 | 1 | 3 |
| Sep 2003 | 1 | 4 |
| Nov 2003 | 1 | 5 |
| Jun 2005 | 1 | 6 |
What owners report
Complaints grouped by the component NHTSA recorded
- Engine466.7%
- Fuel system116.7%
- Transmission116.7%
Percentages are of component mentions. A single complaint can name more than one component, so these do not sum to the total complaint count.
Safety recalls
No recalls in our database for this model year
That does not guarantee a specific vehicle is unaffected — recalls are issued against VINs, and new campaigns are announced regularly. Check a VIN on NHTSA.gov.
Recent owner complaints
Reports submitted to NHTSA, shown in the owner's own words
Fuel system
Filed Nov 19, 2003
PROBLEMS WITH FUEL SYSTEM ON 1998 MODEL KAWASAKI MOTORCYCLE.*MR AT TIMES THE MOTORCYCLE EXPERIENCED AN ERRATIC SURGE AND BUCK AS IF IT HAD NO FUEL. UPON OPENING THE FILLER CAP, THE CONSUMER NOTICED TANK HAD PLENTY OF FUEL IN BOTH SECTIONS OF THE MOTORCYCLE, HOWEVER IT APPEARED THE FUEL WAS NOT DRAWN INTO THE CARBURETOR WITHOUT LONG AND REPEATED CRANKING OF THE STARTER. *JB *NM
- NHTSA ID
- 10048735
Engine
Filed Sep 5, 2003
THIS INVOLVES ENGINE PART #13168-1436 (LEVER, IDLER SHAFT) (ALSO KNOWN AS THE "DOOHICKEY") , WHICH IS PART OF THE ENGINE'S BALANCER CHAIN TENSIONER SYSTEM. WHILE MAKING AN UNRELATED ADJUSTMENT TO THE ENGINE I REMOVED THE LEFT SIDE ENGINE COVER AND NOTICED THAT A PORTION OF THE DOOHICKEY HAD BROKEN OFF AND WAS LOOSE IN THE ENGINE CASE. THE DAMAGE TO THE DOOHICKEY WAS SIMILAR TO WHAT I HAVE SEEN IN OTHER KLR650 ENGINES AND APPEARED TO BE DUE TO THE STARTER GEAR (ENGINE PART #16085-1205 (GEAR, ONEWAY CLUTCH)) IMPACTING THE DOOHICKEY. FORTUNATELY, IN THIS CASE THE ENGINE DID NOT SEIZE, BUT SINCE THERE WAS AT LEAST ONE LOOSE HARDENED STEEL PIECE LOOSE IT COULD EASILY HAVE DONE SO AT ANY TIME. SINCE THIS IS A MOTORCYCLE, AN ENGINE SEIZURE, ESPECIALLY AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS, WOULD HAVE CERTAINLY RESULTED IN A CRASH. I CONSIDER MYSELF LUCKY TO HAVE CAUGHT THIS PROBLEM BEFORE THAT HAPPENED. THIS PROBLEM HAS BEEN REPORTED NUMEROUS TIMES IN COMPLAINTS NUMBERED: 764806 10000072 . *AK 10000454 10000465 10000675 10000938 10000978 10000992 10005395 10005592 10018484 10018988 10023897 10023930 10032798 10033071
- NHTSA ID
- 10037266
- Incident
- Jul 1, 2003
- Mileage
- 13,000 mi
Engine
Filed Jun 28, 2003
ON MY 1998 KAWASAKI KLR650 MOTORCYCLE, VIN [XXX], THE IDLER SHAFT LEVER (KAWASAKI PART NO: 13168-1436) BROKE, LEAVING NO TENSION ON THE BALANCER CHAIN INSIDE THE ENGINE. THIS IS AN ALL-TOO-COMMON PROBLEM ON THESE BIKES. FAILURE OF THE LEVER CAN RESULT IN FAILURE OF THE CHAIN. IF THE CHAIN FAILS AT HIGHWAY SPEED, THE ENGINE WILL SEIZE, LOCKING THE BACK WHEEL WHICH WILL CERTAIN RESULT IN A NASTY ACCIDENT. KAWASAKI NEEDS TO ADDRESS THIS. NON-TECHNICAL OWNERS MAY NOT BE AWARE THAT THEIR ENGINE IS A TICKING TIME BOMB. *NLM INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR
- NHTSA ID
- 10023930
- Incident
- Jun 20, 2003
- Mileage
- 21,000 mi
Engine
Filed May 7, 2003
I HEARD ABOUT A FLAW OF THE ENGINE BALANCER SYSTEM OF THE KAWASAKI KLR650, I ASSUMED THAT MY ENGINE WAS OKAY, AS IT SEEMED TO BE RUNNING FINE, BUT THEN GAVE IN TO MY CURIOSITY, OPENED THE ENGINE CASES AND INSPECTED THE BALANCER MECHANISMS. SURE ENOUGH, JUST AS MANY OTHER KLR OWNERS HAD REPORTED, THE IDLER SHAFT WAS BROKEN. I HAD AN AFTER MARKET IDLER SHAFT THAT IS FORGED FROM ONE PIECE OF HIGH GRADE STEEL AND INSTALLED IT. THE ENGINE RUNS QUIETER NOW AND PRESUMABLY IS LESS PRONE TO FAILURE OF THIS TYPE. THE MANUFACTURER, KAWASAKI HEAVY INDUSTRIES, APPARENTLY HAS CHOSEN TO CUT COSTS BY USING A CHEAP TWO PIECE WELDED IDLER SHAFT OF RELATIVELY CHEAP STEEL (AFTER ONLY 10,000 MILES, MY 1998 KLR 650'S IDLER SHAFT, WHICH WAS ALREADY BROKEN, CRUMPLED IN MY HAND). THIS DESIGN FLAW HAS BEEN WIDELY RECOGNIZED BY COMPETENT ENGINEERS WHO OWN KLRS, AND WHO HAVE REPORTED THE PROBLEM TO KAWASAKI, BUT THESE REPORTS HAVE GONE UNANSWERED. ALTHOUGH THE RISK OF PERSONAL INJURY FROM THIS DESIGN FAILURE IS PROBABLY LOW, THERE IS STILL A CHANCE THE BROKEN PARTS COULD CAUSE THE ENGINE TO SEIZE AT SPEED AND RESULT IN A CRASH. CERTAINLY THE ECONOMIC COSTS TO KLR OWNERS COULD BE SUBSTANTIAL IF THE ENGINE FAILED DUE TO THIS DESIGN FLAW. I HEARD OF CASES OF VERY HIGH COSTS (OVER $1000) TO REBUILD THE ENGINE AFTER THIS PART FAILED. IT IS A SERIOUS PROBLEM OF AN OTHERWISE FINE PRODUCT, AND I HOPE THAT THIS REPORT, AND OTHER SIMILAR REPORTS, WILL RESULT IN THE MANUFACTURER TAKING STEPS TO ENSURE THAT ITS PRODUCT IS AS SAFE AS POSSIBLE. *JB
- NHTSA ID
- 10018383
- Incident
- Feb 15, 2003
- Mileage
- 10,400 mi
Transmission
Filed Jan 2, 2003
A BROKEN IDLER SHAFT LEVER (DOOHICKEY) CAUSED MOTOR CYCLE TO SIEZE.
- NHTSA ID
- 10000465
- Incident
- Dec 29, 2002
- Mileage
- 9,749 mi
Manufacturer communications
A bulletin sent by a manufacturer to its dealers. Not a recall, and repairs are not necessarily free.
MC24-01
STRUCTURE
Service Information about a shipping bracket attaching the motorcycle to the crate can cause damage to the motorcycle fuel tank if removed.
Manufacturers file copies of the bulletins they send to dealers with NHTSA. These often describe diagnostic or repair procedures for a known condition. They are not recalls: repairs described in a bulletin are usually only free if the vehicle is still under warranty or the manufacturer has extended coverage.
Compare model years
Complaint and recall counts across every year of this model
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. Older model years have had longer for reports to accumulate.