2008 Kawasaki KLR650

COVER SIDE HOLE THAT LOWER STARTER GEAR PIN RIDES IN IS MILLED TOO DEEP AND CAN RESULT IN SEVERE ENGINE DAMAGE. WHILE INSTALLING A BALANCER TENSION SPRING UPGRADE (ANOTHER ISSUE WITH THESE MOTORCYCLES) I FOUND I HAD THIS ISSUE. I HAD TO INSTALL A SPACER TO FIX AND PREVENT THE OTHER SIDE FROM COMING OUT OF ENGINE SIDE HOLE AND CAUSING DAMAGE. *TR

THE STARTER GEAR SHAFT CAN MIGRATE OUT IN THE LEFT SIDE ENGINE COVER, LEAVING THE GEAR UNSUPPORTED ON THE INBOARD SIDE AND ALLOWING A WASHER TO MIGRATE LOOSE INTO THE ENGINE--POTENTIALLY CAUSING THE TRANSMISSION TO LOCK UP OR THE TIMING CHAIN TO SKIP TEETH AND CAUSE THE INTAKE OR EXHAUST VALVES TO HIT THE PISTON TOP, BENDING VALVES AND MAKING THE ENGINE INOPERABLE. *TR

2008 KAWASAKI KLR 650 MOTORCYCLE. CONSUMER STATES SEVERAL PROBLEMS WITH MOTORCYCLE AND HAS RECEIVED RECALLS *TGW SINCE PURCHASING THE MOTORCYCLE, THE CONSUMER HAD TO REPLACE THREE BATTERIES. WHILE CHANGING THE OIL FOR THE FIRST TIME, HE DISCOVERED THE ENGINE WAS CONSUMING EIGHT TO TEN OUNCES OF OIL PER THOUSAND MILES OF USE. THE CONSUMER CONTACTED THE MANUFACTURER AND WAS INFORMED THE OIL CONSUMPTION FELL WITHIN THE ACCEPTABLE RANGE AS SPECIFIED BY KAWASAKI ENGINEERS. THE CONSUMER BELIEVED THE PISTONS WERE TOO SMALL FOR THE CYLINDER BORE ON HIS BIKE. *JB

THE 2008 KAWASAKI KLR 650 MOTORCYCLE OIL DRAIN PLUG SHOULD BE RECALLED AND CHANGED TO A LOW-PROFILE DRAIN PLUG. WITH ITS CURRENT HEIGHT, IT PROTRUDES BELOW THE SKID PLATE AND IS PRONE TO DAMAGE. ADDITIONALLY THE SKID PLATE IS MADE OF FLIMSY PLASTIC AND DOES NOT PROVIDE ADEQUATE PROTECTION FOR THE ENGINE. WHILE TRAIL RIDING THIS NEW DUAL-SPORT MOTORCYCLE WITH ONLY 1400 MILES ON IT, I RODE OVER A SMALL ROCK, THIS CRACKED THE FLIMSY SKID-PLATE/ENGINE GUARD AND LOOSENED THE OIL DRAIN PLUG. WHILE RIDING HOME LATER ON THE FREEWAY, THE DRAIN PLUG FELL OUT, ALL THE OIL EVACUATED QUICKLY AND THE MOTOR SEIZED. THIS MOTORCYCLE IS STILL UNDER WARRANTY BUT THE DEALER INSISTED THAT THIS REPAIR WOULD NOT BE COVERED. THE PISTON RINGS WERE SEIZED AND THE REPAIR INVOLVES BORING THE CYLINDER, GETTING A LARGER PISTON AND RINGS, PLUS GASKETS AND LABOR. THE ESTIMATE FOR THIS REPAIR WAS $636.00. THE EVIDENCE OF THE NEED FOR THESE CHANGES TO THE MOTORCYCLE ARE THE PREVALENCE OF THESE PARTS AS AFTERMARKET ACCESSORIES, TO FILL THE OBVIOUS DEFICIENCY. THE LOW PROFILE DRAIN PLUGS ARE ROUGHLY $12.00 AND THE MORE STURDY ENGINE GUARDS ARE AROUND $120.00. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 KAWASAKI KLR650. THE CONTACT RECEIVED A RECALL NOTICE FOR NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 09V059000 (ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM:MANIFOLD/HEADER/MUFFLER/TAIL PIPE) AND IMMEDIATELY CALLED THE DEALER. THE DEALER STATED THAT THE VEHICLE SHOULD NOT BE DRIVEN BECAUSE THE BOLTS COULD LOOSEN COMPLETELY AND THE MUFFLER COULD POSSIBLY SEPARATE FROM THE VEHICLE, CAUSING A CRASH OR SERIOUS INJURY. THE DEALER ALSO STATED THAT THEY WOULD NOT PAY FOR TOWING. THE CONTACT DOES NOT WANT TO HAVE THE VEHICLE REPAIRED IF HE HAS TO PAY FOR TOWING. THE VEHICLE HAS NOT YET BEEN REPAIRED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 2,500.

THE CONDITIONS HEREIN MAY CAUSE AN ENGINE FAILURE. THIS FAILURE COULD CAUSE THE ENGINE TO SEIZE WHICH COULD CAUSE THE LOSS OF CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE [MOTORCYCLE]. THE VEHICLE WAS IN USE UNDER NORMAL "STREET" CONDITIONS. HIGH OIL CONSUMPTION DUE TO MANUFACTURING DEFECT/ WORKMANSHIP. 1 QUART+ OF OIL PER 300 MILES, RESULTING IN HIGH AIR POLLUTION & POSSIBLE ENGINE SEIZURE---FROM THE LOSS OF OIL! PISTON RINGS LEAK OIL. THERE IS ALSO A GROOVE IN ENGINE'S CYLINDER WALL [3"L X 5/32"W X 1/64"D] DUE TO IMPROPER PART ASSEMBLY [PISTON'S WRIST PIN CLIP; A FACTORY DEFECT]. THE ENGINE'S EXHAUST VALVES LEAK WHICH ALSO PRODUCES POOR AIR QUALITY CONTROL. THESE CONDITIONS ARE INTERNAL TO THE ENGINE AND WERE CREATED DURING THE MANUFACTURING PROCESS. THESE FAILURES CAN ONLY BE DETERMINED THROUGH THE DISASSEMBLY OF THE ENGINE. THE ABOVE VEHICLE'S HAS ONLY BEEN USED FOR 2,085 [2K] MILES. IT IS A 2008 MODEL YEAR. THE ABOVE ENGINE FAILS TO MEET AIR QUALITY STANDARDS. THE COST OF REPAIR IS BEING ESTIMATED BETWEEN $800-1000. THIS ENCOMPASSES PARTIAL VEHICLE DISASSEMBLE, UPPER ENGINE DISASSEMBLE, MACHINE SHOP WORK, REPLACEMENT PARTS, ENGINE REASSEMBLE, AND THE REASSEMBLE OF THE AREA AROUND THE ENGINE [IT'S A MOTORCYCLE]. TO CORRECT THE ABOVE FAILURES NEW PARTS MUST BE INSTALLED ALONG WITH NECESSARY MACHINING OF ENGINE'S CYLINDER. *TR