2009 Kawasaki KL650E9F

2009 KAWASAKI KLR650 MOTORCYCLE BUILD DATE SEPT. 2008. THE STARTER IDLER SHAFT BEARING HOLE IN THE OUTER ALTERNATOR CASE SIDE IS BORED TOO DEEP. THIS ALLOWS THE SHAFT TO MIGRATE OVER SO THAT IT IS ONLY SUPPORTED ON ONE END. RESULT IS THE OTHER END WOBBLES, GRINDS AWAY AT THE BEARING AND CASE SURFACE, AND COULD CAUSE THE IDLER GEAR TO JAM. IF THIS HAPPENS, THE ENGINE WILL STOP ABRUPTLY. KAWASAKI FIXED THIS IN LATER BUILD 2009S AND THE 2010 MODELS BY PUTTING A STEP IN THE BORE SO THAT THE SHAFT CANNOT MIGRATE, BUT WILL NOT PUT THIS CHANGE INTO EARLIER MODELS THAT ARE OUT OF WARRANTY. I THINK THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE AND THAT THIS CHANGE SHOULD BE MADE TO ALL AFFECTED MOTORCYCLES. NOTE: MINE HAS NOT YET FAILED, BUT ONLY BECAUSE I WAS INFORMED OF THE PROBLEM AND TOOK CORRECTIVE ACTION TO PREVENT THIS FROM OCCURRING. *TR

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