2005 Kawasaki ZX636C1

I WAS RIDING FOR ABOUT 30 MINUTES IN THE MOUNTAINS MAKING A CURVE, MY BIKE STARTED TO SPUTTER AND KICK, I WENT OFF THE EDGE HIT A ROCK, ALMOST HIT THE MOUNTAIN SIDE, AND ALMOST OFF THE SIDE OF THE MOUNTAIN. AFTER STOPPING AND GETTING MY MIND AND NERVES STRAIGHT AND LETTING THE BIKE SIT FOR 30 MINUTES TO COOL DOWN, IT WOULD RUN FINE FOR A FEW MINUTES, THEN START SPUTTERING AGAIN. WHILE HEADING BACK TO MY HOTEL, IT STARTED AGAIN AND KILLED WHILE GOING UP A MOUNTAIN, I WAS ALMOST HIT FROM BEHIND BY A VAN. AFTER DOING A BIT A RESEARCH, I'VE DISCOVERED THE ECU WAS BAD, DUE TO OVER HEATING BECAUSE OF THE LOCATION OF THE COMPUTER AND THE EXHAUST. WHILE COOL AND FIRST STARTING THE BIKE IT RUNS FINE, BUT AFTER 30 MINUTES OR SO OF RIDING THE HEAT TAKES IT'S AFFECT ON THE COMPUTER. THE EXHAUST HEAT IS CAUSING THE COMPUTER TO OVERHEAT AND SHUT THE BIKE DOWN. I'M NOW AFRAID TO RIDE MY BIKE, FOR FEAR OF GETTING KILLED!!! *TR

NHTSA ID

10515791

Incident

May 29, 2012

Mileage

19,000 mi

2005 KAWASAKI NINJA ZX6R (636), BIKES ECU RESTS OVER MUFFLER ON VEHICLE. I'VE HAD THE BIKE JUST SHUT OFF ON ME FOR NO APPARENT REASON, SOMETIMES THE BIKE JUST SHUTS OFF COMPLETELY AND SOMETIMES THE BIKE JUST SPUTTERS AND YOU GIVE IT GAS AND IT WILL CONTINUE TO SPUTTER CAUSING THE BIKE TO "BUCK". I'VE THIS HAPPEN TO ME APPROXIMATELY 21 TIMES SINCE JULY 4, 2010. ONCE THE BIKE SHUTS OFF YOU HAVE TO TURN OFF THE KEY TO RESTART THE COMPUTER (ECU) AND IT WILL RESET ITSELF AND WILL RUN FINE UNTIL THE COMPUTER (ECU) OVERHEATS AGAIN. I TRIED TO PUT MORE HEAT TAPE IN BETWEEN WHERE THE BIKE MUFFLER IS AND THE ECU RESTS. I'VE HAD THIS HAPPEN TO ME ON SIDE STREETS, ON STATE HIGHWAYS, AND THE INTERSTATE. *TR

NHTSA ID

10359936

Incident

Jul 4, 2010

Mileage

35,600 mi

I BOUGHT A 2005 KAWASAKI ZX-6R IN AUGUST OF 2005. SINCE THEN THE BIKE HAS DEVELOPED A SERIOUS PROBLEM WITHIN THE TRANSMISSION. STARTING AROUND 7000 MILES THE BIKE WILL FREQUENTLY COME OUT OF SECOND GEAR AND SHIFT ITSELF BACK INTO NEUTRAL WHILE RIDING. IT ALSO FREQUENTLY TAKES TWO OR THREE TRIES TO GET INTO SECOND GEAR FROM FIRST, USUALLY KICKING AND JERKING AND REFUSING TO GO INTO GEAR. I HAVE CONTACTED MY DEALER AND KAWASAKI. THEY BOTH TOLD ME I WOULD NEED TO HAVE THE BIKE OPENED UP, AND IT WOULD MOST LIKELY NOT BE COVERED UNDER THEIR WARRANTY, AND KAWASAKI DEEMED IT A WEAR AND TEAR ITEM. A TRANSMISSION SHOULD NOT BE A WEAR AND TEAR ITEM WITH A 7000 MILE REPLACEMENT TO BE EXPECTED. I AM NOT THE ONLY ONE WITH THESE ISSUES, THE MAJORITY OF PEOPLE WITH THE BIKE MADE IN THE YEARS 2005 AND 2006 WHO HAVE CROSSED THE 5000 MILE MARK HAVE DISCUSSED THE HAVING THE PROBLEM ON THE KAWASAKI SPONSORED ONLINE FORUM AT TP://WWW.KAWIFORUMS.COM THERE ARE COUNTLESS THREADS IN THE APPROPRIATE FORUM, ONE OF THE MORE LENGTHY THREADS CAN SPECIFICALLY BE SEEN HERE HTTP://KAWIFORUMS.COM/FORUM/TOPIC.ASP?TOPIC_ID=79076 THIS POSES A MAJOR SAFETY ISSUE FOR A MOTORCYCLE. WE HAVE A DIFFICULT ENOUGH TIME STAYING OUT OF ACCIDENTS AS IT IS, BUT PULLING THROUGH CONGESTED TRAFFIC AND FINDING OURSELVES IN NEUTRAL IS ASKING TO BE REAR ENDED. SHOULD WE BE ABOUT TO GET REAR ENDED, ATTEMPTING TO GET OUT OF THE WAY AND THEN FINDING OURSELVES POWERLESS WILL MAKE IT IMPOSSIBLE TO GET OUT OF THE WAY. IT ALSO POSES A PROBLEM BECAUSE WE DO NOT KNOW WHAT IS THE NEXT SYMPTOM IN A PROGRESSING PROBLEM, IT COULD BE THE GEARS BREAKING AND JAMMING OTHER GEARS. THANK YOU FOR READING MY LONG WINDED DESCRIPTION, I HOPE YOU WILL ALSO TAKE THE TIME TO PAGE THROUGH THAT THREAD, AND MAYBE A FEW OTHERS, AS THERE ARE MANY LIKE MYSELF WHO ARE STILL "IN THE WOOD WORK. *AK

NHTSA ID

10187210

Incident

Jul 1, 2006

Mileage

7,000 mi

FOOT PEDAL BROKE WHEN RIDER SHIFTED HIS WEIGHT CAUSING HIS FOOT TO HIT PAVEMENT RESULTING IN LOST OF CONTROL OF KAWASKI MOTORCYCLE. *NM

NHTSA ID

10162788

Incident

Jun 29, 2006

Mileage

13,248 mi

I WAS RIDING THE MOTORCYCLE AND PREPARED TO STOP AT A STOP SIGN. I APPLIED BOTH THE FRONT AND REAR BRAKES. AS I APPLIED THE REAR BRAKE, THE BRACKET THAT SECURES THE REAR BRAKE TO THE MOTORCYCLE FRAME FAILED. THE BRAKE LEVER DETACHED FROM THE BRACKET AND THE REAR BRAKE WAS NON-FUNCTIONAL. I WAS ABLE TO STOP THE MOTORCYCLE USING THE FRONT BRAKE ONLY. THE OLD PARTS ARE CURRENTLY AVAILABLE. *JB

NHTSA ID

10159551

Incident

Jun 10, 2005

Mileage

16,100 mi

OWNING THE 2005 NINJA FOR ABOUT 4 MONTHS(5,000 MILES) I EXPERIENCED SOME VERY UNUSUAL SHIFTING TRAITS. SHIFTING ON ITS OWN. THIS IS A MANUAL SHIFT TRANSMISSION. THE FIRST WAS AFTER TURNING A CORNER, IN 2ND GEAR. AFTER ABOUT 30-50 FT IT DOWN SHIFTED INTO FIRST. IMMEDIATELY DECELERATING. THE SAME DAY WAS PASSING. I SHIFTED 3RD INTO 2ND, ATTEMPTED TO PASS(IN ONCOMING LANE) IT SHIFTED INTO NEUTRAL, THEN AFTER A FEW SECONDS BACK INTO 2ND. BOTH OF THESE INCIDENTS COULD HAVE VERY DANGEROUS OR EVEN FATAL. RETURNED TO DEALER THE VERY SAME DAY. LOGGED IT AND SAID UNTIL THEY RECEIVED AND OK FROM THE MANUFACTURER, NOTHING THEY COULD DO. SEVERAL DAYS PASS, FROM A STOP, ONCE IN 2ND ANY THROTTLE RESULTS IN A GRINDING, POPPING NOISE. THE GEAR WAS JUMPING IN AND OUT. I SHIFTED TO 3RD, SAME THING, GRINDING. I RETURNED TO THE DEALER AGAIN, TO LET THEM KNOW THE PROBLEM HAD GOTTEN WORSE AND WAS ALSO NOTICEABLE IN ANOTHER GEAR. THEY ADDED TO LOG. AGAIN WHILE RIDING 2ND AND 3RD PRODUCED THE SAME RESULTS, GRINDING, CLUNKING AND NO ACCELERATION BECAUSE OF THIS. AT THIS POINT I DEEMED THE BIKE UNSAFE TO RIDE AND DROPPED IT OF AT THE DEALER. I SUGGESTED THAT THEY RIDE IT AND TELL ME WHAT THEY THINK. AFTER THEY DID THE RESPONSE WAS "THAT??S SCARY" THEY PROCEED TO TEAR IT APART AND SEND PARTS TO THE MANUFACTURER. AFTER ABOUT 2 MONTHS I FINALLY HEAR BACK FROM THE DEALER. THEY TELL ME THAT KAWASAKI WILL NOT WARRANTY ANYTHING AND THAT I??M RESPONSIBLE FOR THE TEAR DOWN AND INSPECTION. BUT AT THE SAME TIME SUGGEST(KAWASAKI) THAT TO PREVENT THE PROBLEM I NEED TO TAKE THE REPLACEMENT GEARS TO A CUSTOM RACE SHOP AND HAVE THEM CUSTOM MACHINED TO ACHIEVE A BETTER MESH. IF AT ANY TIME THIS WOULD HAVE OCCURRED DURING A CORNER, THE REAR TIRE WOULD HAVE LOCKED UP AND SENT ME INTO ONCOMING TRAFFIC, THE GUARDRAIL, OR OFF THE EDGE OF THE ROAD. POSSIBLY LEADING TO SERIOUS INJURY OR EVEN DEATH. THIS IS ABSOLUTELY UNACCEPTABLE. AND I HAVE A BIKE THAT??S NOT RIDEABLE AND A WARRANTY THAT IS NOT BEING HONORED. *JB

NHTSA ID

10147502

Incident

Oct 10, 2005

Mileage

5,040 mi

CIRCUIT SUSPENSION TUNING. *TT