NHTSA Complaint #10037266 — 1998 KAWASAKI KLR650

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