Recalls, owner-reported complaints, investigations and safety data
Data refreshed
Our database contains 19 NHTSA owner-reported complaints for the 2001 Kawasaki KLR650, most frequently naming the engine, driver assistance and suspension 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.
When owners filed reports about this model year
| Month | Complaints filed | Cumulative |
|---|---|---|
| Apr 2001 | 1 | 1 |
| Mar 2002 | 1 | 2 |
| Dec 2002 | 1 | 3 |
| Jan 2003 | 1 | 4 |
| Feb 2003 | 2 | 6 |
| May 2003 | 1 | 7 |
| Aug 2003 | 1 | 8 |
| Sep 2003 | 1 | 9 |
| Jan 2004 | 1 | 10 |
| Oct 2004 | 1 | 11 |
| Jul 2005 | 1 | 12 |
| Feb 2006 | 1 | 13 |
| Jun 2006 | 1 | 14 |
| Jul 2006 | 1 | 15 |
| Jun 2007 | 1 | 16 |
| Aug 2009 | 1 | 17 |
| Apr 2012 | 1 | 18 |
| Nov 2016 | 1 | 19 |
Complaints grouped by the component NHTSA recorded
Percentages are of component mentions. A single complaint can name more than one component, so these do not sum to the total complaint count.
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.
Reports submitted to NHTSA, shown in the owner's own words
CAM CHAIN ADJUSTER OTHERWISE KNOW AS A DOOHICKEY. IF IT FAILS IT MAY CAUSE THE ENGINE TO SEIZE UP WITHOUT WARNING, I CHANGE MINE AFTER IT BROKE BUT DID NOT CAUSE MASSIVE INTERNAL DAMAGE I WAS UNAWARE THAT MINE HAD FAILED I DID THE CHANGE AS PREVENTATIVE MAINTENANCE THIS PROBLEM HAS BEEN KNOWN TO THE KLR COMMUNITY FOR MANY YEARS BUT KAWASAKI REFUSES TO RECOGNIZE IT, DO A GOOGLE SEARCH ON DOOHICKEY FOR MORE INFO
THE IDLER SHAFT LEVER (AKA "DOOHICKEY") BROKE IN HALF AND THE PIECES OF IT WERE FLOATING AROUND IN THE CRANK CASED. THIS IS VERY DANGEROUS BECAUSE IF A PIECE OF THE IDLER SHAFT LEVER GETS CAUGHT IN THE COUNTERBALANCE CHAIN OR CAUSES A CRANK BEARING FAILURE THE ENGINE COULD LOCK UP AT SPEED CAUSING A CRASH. I REPLACED THE IDLER SHAFT LEVER WITH A STRONGER AFTERMARKET COMPONENT. *TR
THE IDLE SHAFT LEVER IN MY 2001 KAWASAKI KLR650 HAD COMPLETELY BROKEN INTO 2 PIECES. I DISCOVERED THIS WHEN UPGRADING THE PART. IT COULD HAVE CAUSED CATASTROPHIC ENGINE FAILURE. *TR
AFTER 14,000 MILES OF USE I AM THE SECOND OWNER OF THE MOTORCYCLE THE IDLE SHAFT LEVER FAILED. WITH THE FREQUENCY OF THIS FAILURE BEING REPORTED, THERE SHOULD BE A TSB ISSUED. *TR
WHEN I TORE INTO MY 2001 KLR 650 TO INSPECT AND REPLACE THE FAULTY "DOOHICKEY". I FOUND THE FACTORY ONE BROKE. BOTH THE SPRING AND BALANCER WERE BROKE AND I DID NOT FIND EITHER PART IN THE MOTOR. THEY ARE STILL FLOATING AROUND IN THE MOTOR SOMEWHERE. THERE WAS SCARING ON THE PARTS INSIDE THE MOTOR WHERE YOU COULD TELL IT HAD HUNG UP ON OTHER MOVING PARTS AND LUCKILY DID NOT LOCK UP THE MOTOR. I REPLACED THE "DOOHICKEY" WITH AN AFTERMARKET BETTER PRODUCT AND HOPE THE LOOSE PIECES DO NOT FLOAT INTO MOVING PARTS TO TEAR UP MY MOTOR. *JB
DOOHICKEY AND SPRING ON THE COUNTER BALANCER OF THE ENGINE WITH 14000 MILES WAS BROKEN DURING MOTORCYCLE USAGE. THIS IS A SUGGEST REPLACEMENT PART THAT IS RECOGNIZED BY OWNERS OF KAWASAKI KLR 650 , SO WHEN I TOOK MIND APART TO REPLACE IT, IT WAS BROKEN AND THE SPRING WAS ALSO MISSING INTO THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT THAT COULD CAUSE THE MOTOR TO LOCK UP. *JB
VEHICLE WAS A 2001 KAWASAKI KLR 650 MOTORCYCLE. DISMANTLED ENGINE CASE AND FOUND BALANCER CHAIN TENSIONER BROKEN INTO THREE PIECES. HAD TO RUMMAGE THROUGH THE CRANKCASE TO FIND TWO OF THE PIECES. THE TENSIONER SPRING WAS ALSO BROKEN. PIECE OF SPRING NOT FOUND. *NM
1)POOR PERFORAMANCE SEEMED LIKE CARBURATER PROBLEM. 2)SUDDEN LOUD KNOCK AND ENGINE STALLED AT 40MPH. UPON INTERNAL INSPECTION, BALANCER SHAFT ADJUSTER FAILED (BROKE INTO 4 PIECES) CIRCULATED PIECES THROUGHOUT CRANKCASE AND SNAPPED BALANCER CHAIN. MAY BE ADDITIONAL DAMAGE TO INTERNAL ENGINE PARTS. AFTER RESEARCH, LEARNED THAT FAILURE COULD HAVE BEEN CATASTROPHIC AND RESULTED IN ENGINE SIEZING AT HIGH SPEED. 3)REPLACING BALANCER SHAFT ADJUSTER WITH SUPERIOR AFTERMARKET PART, REPLACING BALANCER CHAIN, STILL INSPECTING ENGINE FOR ADDITIONAL DAMAGE.
A bulletin sent by a manufacturer to its dealers. Not a recall, and repairs are not necessarily free.
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.
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.