NHTSA Complaint #10276860 — 2009 KAWASAKI KL650E9F

MY HUSBAND WAS RIDING OUR KAWASAKI KLR 650 MOTORCYCLE ON A DIRT ROAD, WHEN HE ROUNDED A CORNER,HE SAW A LARGE PINE TREE BLOCKING THE ENTIRE ROADWAY.HE PRESSED ON THE REAR BRAKES, BUT THERE WAS NONE. HE HAD THREE CHOICES, HIT THE PINE TREE, HIT THE ROCK WALL TO HIS LEFT OR RIDE IT OUT DOWN A HILL AND THROUGH A PINE THICKET. HE TOOK THE ONE CHOICE GIVEN THE TERRIAN WHERE HE THOUGHT HE COULD SAFELY STOP. AFTER RIDING OUT THE HILL, AND COMING TO A STOP, GATHERING HIS BREATH, HE INSPECTED THE BIKE AND DISCOVERED WHY THERE WERE NO REAR BRAKES. THE METAL BRACE BOLTED TO THE FRAME ATTACHED TO THE REAR BRAKE PEDAL HAD CRACKED AND BROKE APART. CURRENTLY, THIS MOTORCYCLE IS AT THE DEALERSHIP, BUT WE HAVE YET TO HEAR IF KAWASAKI IS HONORING THE WARRANTY OR IF THEY WILL EVEN REPAIR THE DAMAGE CAUSED BY THE FAILURE. THIS BIKE WAS PURCHASED NEW ON 06/03/09 AND THIS PART FAILED ON 06/29/09 WITH APPROXIMATELY 168 MILES ON THIS NEW BIKE. PERHAPS THIS IS A DESIGN FLAW, OR DEFECTED MATERIALS BEING USED BY KAWASAKI. EITHER WAY, THIS IS A POTENTIAL DEADLY DEFECT. *TR