2009 Kawasaki KLR650

THIS `09 KLR 650 WAS PURCHASED USED FROM GUY WHO BOUGHT IT NEW HAVING APPROX. 8000 MI. MY BIGGEST COMPLAINT IS POSSIBLY DUE TO ENGINE MOUNTING AND VIBRATION WHEREAS FOUND EXHAUST MANIFOLD CLAMP HAD VIBRATED LOOSE AND DETACHED FROM ENGINE EXHAUST PORT. ANOTHER TIME FOUND ONE OF THE SIDE FRAME BOLTS HAD SHEERED OR OTHERWISE BROKE DUE VIBRATION OR DEFECTIVE MATERIAL. OTHER SIMILAR PROBLEMS INVOLVED HAVING TO REPLACE OR FIX SPEEDO CABLE AND THE PROTECTIVE LEG / HEAT EXHAUST SHIELD DUE TO MATERIAL OR VIBRATION ISSUES.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 KAWASAKI KLR650. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT 30 MPH, THE MOTORCYCLE STALLED WITHOUT WARNING. THE FAILURE OCCURRED ON MULTIPLE OCCASIONS. THE MOTORCYCLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE WIRING HARNESS NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE MOTORCYCLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 3,000.

THIS COMPLAINT DOES NOT REPRESENT AN INCIDENT WITH MY PERSONAL VEHICLE. THE KAWASAKI KLR650 SERIES, ALL MODELS SPANNING ALL MFG YEARS, SUFFER FROM A WEAK CHAIN TENSIONER ASSEMBLY FOR THE COUNTERBALANCE SHAFTS. THIS IS AN INTERNAL ENGINE COMPONENT. ON THE INTERNET, THIS ASSEMBLY IS REFERRED TO AS THE "DOOHICKEY." SEARCHING THE WEB FOR "KLR DOOHICKEY" WILL YIELD LITERALLY THOUSANDS OF RESULTS OF BOTH FIXES AND FAILURES. KAWASAKI HAS NEVER CORRECTED THE ISSUE, AND AN INDUSTRY HAS EVEN EMERGED WITH AFTERMARKET PARTS TO CORRECT THE DEFECT THAT THE MANUFACTURER HAS FAILED TO ADDRESS. THIS IS A SERIOUS SAFETY DEFECT WITH THE VEHICLE, AS FAILURE OF THE ASSEMBLY HAS SENT METAL FRAGMENTS THROUGH THE ENGINE AND HAS POTENTIAL TO RAPIDLY SEIZE THE ENGINE. WHEN TRAVELING AT SPEED, THIS CAN CAUSE SUDDEN LOSS OF POWER, OR EVEN AN UNEXPECTED REAR WHEEL LOCKUP ON THE MOTORCYCLE, EITHER OF WHICH CAN BE DEADLY. THERE ARE TENS OF THOUSANDS OF THESE MOTORCYCLES ON THE ROAD, YET ONLY THE ENTHUSIAST COMMUNITY IS AWARE OF THE ISSUE, AND I FEAR THERE ARE MANY OWNERS WHO ARE UNAWARE OF THE RISKS. I WOULD LIKE NHTSA TO INVESTIGATE FOR POTENTIAL RECALL. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME. *TR