NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
What owners actually said
19 reports7,239 miles · Nov 16, 2016
Engine
CAM CHAIN ADJUSTER OTHERWISE KNOW AS A DOOHICKEY. IF IT FAILS IT MAY CAUSE THE ENGINE TO SEIZE UP WITHOUT WARNING, I CHANGE MINE AFTER IT BROKE BUT DID NOT CAUSE MASSIVE INTERNAL DAMAGE I WAS UNAWARE THAT MINE HAD FAILED I DID THE CHANGE AS PREVENTATIVE MAINTENANCE THIS PROBLEM HAS BEEN KNOWN TO THE KLR COMMUNITY FOR MANY YEAR…
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CAM CHAIN ADJUSTER OTHERWISE KNOW AS A DOOHICKEY. IF IT FAILS IT MAY CAUSE THE ENGINE TO SEIZE UP WITHOUT WARNING, I CHANGE MINE AFTER IT BROKE BUT DID NOT CAUSE MASSIVE INTERNAL DAMAGE I WAS UNAWARE THAT MINE HAD FAILED I DID THE CHANGE AS PREVENTATIVE MAINTENANCE THIS PROBLEM HAS BEEN KNOWN TO THE KLR COMMUNITY FOR MANY YEARS BUT KAWASAKI REFUSES TO RECOGNIZE IT, DO A GOOGLE SEARCH ON DOOHICKEY FOR MORE INFO
NHTSA ODI #10926349
12,800 miles · Apr 5, 2012
Engine And Engine Cooling
THE IDLER SHAFT LEVER (AKA "DOOHICKEY") BROKE IN HALF AND THE PIECES OF IT WERE FLOATING AROUND IN THE CRANK CASED. THIS IS VERY DANGEROUS BECAUSE IF A PIECE OF THE IDLER SHAFT LEVER GETS CAUGHT IN THE COUNTERBALANCE CHAIN OR CAUSES A CRANK BEARING FAILURE THE ENGINE COULD LOCK UP AT SPEED CAUSING A CRASH. I REPLACED THE IDLER…
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THE IDLER SHAFT LEVER (AKA "DOOHICKEY") BROKE IN HALF AND THE PIECES OF IT WERE FLOATING AROUND IN THE CRANK CASED. THIS IS VERY DANGEROUS BECAUSE IF A PIECE OF THE IDLER SHAFT LEVER GETS CAUGHT IN THE COUNTERBALANCE CHAIN OR CAUSES A CRANK BEARING FAILURE THE ENGINE COULD LOCK UP AT SPEED CAUSING A CRASH. I REPLACED THE IDLER SHAFT LEVER WITH A STRONGER AFTERMARKET COMPONENT. *TR
NHTSA ODI #10454281
20,000 miles · Aug 17, 2009
Engine And Engine Cooling
THE IDLE SHAFT LEVER IN MY 2001 KAWASAKI KLR650 HAD COMPLETELY BROKEN INTO 2 PIECES. I DISCOVERED THIS WHEN UPGRADING THE PART. IT COULD HAVE CAUSED CATASTROPHIC ENGINE FAILURE. *TR
NHTSA ODI #10280637
Mileage unknown · Jun 14, 2007
Engine And Engine Cooling
AFTER 14,000 MILES OF USE I AM THE SECOND OWNER OF THE MOTORCYCLE THE IDLE SHAFT LEVER FAILED. WITH THE FREQUENCY OF THIS FAILURE BEING REPORTED, THERE SHOULD BE A TSB ISSUED. *TR
NHTSA ODI #10193359
Mileage unknown · Jul 16, 2006
Engine And Engine Cooling
WHEN I TORE INTO MY 2001 KLR 650 TO INSPECT AND REPLACE THE FAULTY "DOOHICKEY". I FOUND THE FACTORY ONE BROKE. BOTH THE SPRING AND BALANCER WERE BROKE AND I DID NOT FIND EITHER PART IN THE MOTOR. THEY ARE STILL FLOATING AROUND IN THE MOTOR SOMEWHERE. THERE WAS SCARING ON THE PARTS INSIDE THE MOTOR WHERE YOU COULD TELL IT HAD HU…
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WHEN I TORE INTO MY 2001 KLR 650 TO INSPECT AND REPLACE THE FAULTY "DOOHICKEY". I FOUND THE FACTORY ONE BROKE. BOTH THE SPRING AND BALANCER WERE BROKE AND I DID NOT FIND EITHER PART IN THE MOTOR. THEY ARE STILL FLOATING AROUND IN THE MOTOR SOMEWHERE. THERE WAS SCARING ON THE PARTS INSIDE THE MOTOR WHERE YOU COULD TELL IT HAD HUNG UP ON OTHER MOVING PARTS AND LUCKILY DID NOT LOCK UP THE MOTOR. I REPLACED THE "DOOHICKEY" WITH AN AFTERMARKET BETTER PRODUCT AND HOPE THE LOOSE PIECES DO NOT FLOAT INTO MOVING PARTS TO TEAR UP MY MOTOR. *JB
NHTSA ODI #10162506
13,000 miles · Jun 25, 2006
Engine And Engine Cooling
DOOHICKEY AND SPRING ON THE COUNTER BALANCER OF THE ENGINE WITH 14000 MILES WAS BROKEN DURING MOTORCYCLE USAGE. THIS IS A SUGGEST REPLACEMENT PART THAT IS RECOGNIZED BY OWNERS OF KAWASAKI KLR 650 , SO WHEN I TOOK MIND APART TO REPLACE IT, IT WAS BROKEN AND THE SPRING WAS ALSO MISSING INTO THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT THAT COULD CAUS…
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DOOHICKEY AND SPRING ON THE COUNTER BALANCER OF THE ENGINE WITH 14000 MILES WAS BROKEN DURING MOTORCYCLE USAGE. THIS IS A SUGGEST REPLACEMENT PART THAT IS RECOGNIZED BY OWNERS OF KAWASAKI KLR 650 , SO WHEN I TOOK MIND APART TO REPLACE IT, IT WAS BROKEN AND THE SPRING WAS ALSO MISSING INTO THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT THAT COULD CAUSE THE MOTOR TO LOCK UP. *JB
NHTSA ODI #10160719
21,000 miles · Feb 1, 2006
Engine And Engine Cooling
VEHICLE WAS A 2001 KAWASAKI KLR 650 MOTORCYCLE. DISMANTLED ENGINE CASE AND FOUND BALANCER CHAIN TENSIONER BROKEN INTO THREE PIECES. HAD TO RUMMAGE THROUGH THE CRANKCASE TO FIND TWO OF THE PIECES. THE TENSIONER SPRING WAS ALSO BROKEN. PIECE OF SPRING NOT FOUND. *NM
NHTSA ODI #10149252
8,218 miles · Jul 5, 2005
Unknown Or Other
1)POOR PERFORAMANCE SEEMED LIKE CARBURATER PROBLEM. 2)SUDDEN LOUD KNOCK AND ENGINE STALLED AT 40MPH. UPON INTERNAL INSPECTION, BALANCER SHAFT ADJUSTER FAILED (BROKE INTO 4 PIECES) CIRCULATED PIECES THROUGHOUT CRANKCASE AND SNAPPED BALANCER CHAIN. MAY BE ADDITIONAL DAMAGE TO INTERNAL ENGINE PARTS. AFTER RESEARCH, LEARNED THA…
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1)POOR PERFORAMANCE SEEMED LIKE CARBURATER PROBLEM. 2)SUDDEN LOUD KNOCK AND ENGINE STALLED AT 40MPH. UPON INTERNAL INSPECTION, BALANCER SHAFT ADJUSTER FAILED (BROKE INTO 4 PIECES) CIRCULATED PIECES THROUGHOUT CRANKCASE AND SNAPPED BALANCER CHAIN. MAY BE ADDITIONAL DAMAGE TO INTERNAL ENGINE PARTS. AFTER RESEARCH, LEARNED THAT FAILURE COULD HAVE BEEN CATASTROPHIC AND RESULTED IN ENGINE SIEZING AT HIGH SPEED. 3)REPLACING BALANCER SHAFT ADJUSTER WITH SUPERIOR AFTERMARKET PART, REPLACING BALANCER CHAIN, STILL INSPECTING ENGINE FOR ADDITIONAL DAMAGE.
NHTSA ODI #10127560
9,940 miles · Oct 11, 2004
Engine And Engine Cooling
CHANGED OIL AND DISCOVERED PIECES OF METAL IN CRANKCASE. HAD A BROKEN IDLER SHAFT LEVER THAT SPLIT IN TWO. LUCKILY IT DID NOT GIVE WAY WHILE I WAS RUNNING AND SEIZE THE ENGINE. DESIGN FLAW IN THE IDLER SHAFT LEVER WELD RESULTED IN FAILURE. *NM
NHTSA ODI #10095558
19,357 miles · Jan 6, 2004
Engine And Engine Cooling
BALANCER SHAFT FAILURE ON A 2001 KAWASAKI KLR 650 MOTORCYCLE. *AK
NHTSA ODI #10052462
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