2000 KAWASAKI KLR650 — Problems, Recalls & Safety Data

THE TORSION SPRING ON MY KLR 650 FAILED. THIS IS A MAJOR PROBLEM AND HAPPENS TO ALOT OF KLR 650 OWNERS. LUCKY FOR ME IT DIDN'T CAUSE THE ENGINE TO SEIZE WHILE I WAS RIDING. *TR

I HAVE ONLY OWNED THIS 2000 KAWASAKI KLR650 FOR A FEW MONTHS NOW AND HAD 8766 MILES AT THE TIME! I HAD READ ON THE INTERNET THAT THE IDLER SHAFT LEVER(KAWASAKI PART NO. 13168-1436) AND SPRING(KAWASAKI PART NO. 92144-1860) PUT IN EVERY KLR650 SINCE 1996 WERE PRONE TO FAILURE. DUE TO POOR QUALITY STEEL AND POOR MANUFACTURING! WHICH CAN CAUSE THE TIMING CHAIN TO SEIZE, WHICH RESULTS IN THE ENGINE SEIZING, AND IF THIS WERE TO HAPPEN WHILE RIDING WOULD CAUSE THE REAR WHEEL TO SEIZE. WHICH WOULD CAUSE DAMAGE, INJURY, POSSIBLY AN ACCIDENT AND DEATH! SURE ENOUGH A FRIEND OF MINE WHO IS A MOTORCYCLE MECHANIC HELPED ME CHECK INTO THIS AND WE DID FIND THAT MY IDLER SHAFT LEVER WAS INDEED BROKEN, MY SPRING WAS MISSING AND MY TIMING CHAIN WAS BARELY HANGING ON!!! LIKE I SAID MINE ONLY HAD 8766 MILES BUT THE PART HAD FAILED WAY BEFORE THAT AND I HAVE READ ON THE INTERNET THAT THEY HAVE FAILED WITH LESS THAN 2000 MILES. I AM STILL IN THE PROCESS OF TRYING TO FIND THE SPRING AND OTHER PIECES OF THE IDLER SHAFT LEVER IN SIDE THE ENGINE! TO FIX THIS I REPLACED THE BROKEN IDLER SHAFT LEVER WITH A PROFESSIONALS MACHINED 1 PIECE OUT OF STAINLESS STEEL MADE BY WWW.EAGLE-M-E.COM AND REPLACED THE SPRING WITH A NEW ONE ALSO FROM WWW.EAGLE-M-E.COM. *JB

THE CLASSIC KAWASAKI KLR 650 BALANCE SHAFT TENSIONER FAILURE. 2000 MODEL YEAR MOTORCYCLE MAINTAINED AS PER FACTORY RECOMMENDATIONS BROKE A BALANCE SHAFT SYSTEM. OCCURRED AT LOW SPEED SO IT WAS NOT DANGEROUS AS IF IT HAPPENED AT SPEED. THAT WAS THE FIRST FAILURE. RECENTLY I FOUND IT WAS CRACKED DURING SERVICE OF THE WATER PUMP. INSTALLED THE 3RD ADJUSTER AT THAT POINT. RECENTLY I FOUND AFTERMARKET PARTS TO PREVENT FUTURE FAILURES AS THIS IS ACTUALLY A VERY COMMON PROBLEM ON THESE MOTORCYCLES AS THE GET HIGH IN MILES. AT THIS POINT I HAVE HAD 2 FAILURES OF A PART THAT IS A VERY WELL KNOWN ABOUT. JUST LOOK AT "KNOWN ISSUES" HERE HTTP://WWW.BIGCEE.COM/KLR650FAQ.HTML#INTAKE. *JB

BROKEN DOOHICKEY INSIDE MOTOR. *AK

I OWN A 2000 KAWASAKI KLR 650 DUAL SPORT MOTORCYCLE WHICH I PURCHASED NEW. I HAVE KEPT UP WITH SCHEDULED MAINTENANCE AS REQUIRED. THE IDLER SHAFT LEVER AND IDLER SHAFT SPRING WERE BOTH BROKEN. THERE WERE 3 BROKEN ENGINE PARTS INSIDE THE CRANKCASE WHICH CAN CAUSE THE ENGINE TO LOCK UP. THE DEALERSHIP WAS MADE AWARE OF THIS PROBLEM.*AK