THE FLYWHEEL (ROTOR/GENERATOR) OF A 1993 KAWASAKI EX500, , MANUFACTURED IN SUCH A WAY THAT THE MAGNETS ON THE ROTOR ITSELF WILL BREAK APART. A LICENSED MECHANIC HAS TOLD ME THAT IT COULD POSE A POSSIBLE SAFETY HAZARD CONCERNING THAT IF PART OF THE MAGNET WHERE TO BECOME JAMMED IT COULD SEIZE THE MOTOR OF THE MOTORCYCLE UP. THIS HAPPENED TO ME, I WAS ONLY PARKED IN MY DRIVEWAY, BUT IMAGINE DRIVING DOWN THE HIGHWAY AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS AND ALL THE SUDDEN YOUR MOTORCYCLE ENGINE SEIZES UP. THIS POSES A SERIES SAFETY RISK NOT ONLY TO A MOTORCYCLE RIDER, BUT ALSO PEDESTRIANS OR OTHER MOTORIZED PEOPLE. THIS COULD RESULT IN DEATH! IN 1993 THE ROTOR WAS MANUFACTURED IN A WAY THAT ALLOWS THE MAGNETS TO COME APART DUE TO POOR/THOUGHTLESS DESIGN FLAWS. NOW I AM TOLD THAT A 1994 ? PRESENT, ROTOR HAS AN INNER LINER THAT HOLDS THE MAGNETS IN PLACE NOT ALLOWING THEM TO BECOME LOOSE AND CAUSE A POSSIBLE SEIZER. I SUPPOSE ABLY CAN ALSO PURCHASE A BRAND NEW ROTOR FOR MY MOTORCYCLE THAT HAS BEEN REDESIGNED TO THE NEW STANDARD WITH AN INNER LINER. I DO NOT FEEL THAT IS MY RESPONSIBILITY TO PURCHASE THIS REPLACEMENT PART. I HAVE A BROKEN ROTOR/FLYWHEEL AS WE SPEAK AND THEY TELL ME IT WILL COST BE OVER $400.00 FOR A NEW ONE?! I DO NOT THINK SO! THERE NEEDS TO BE A RECALL OR A WARNING SENT OUT TO THE DEALERS. PEOPLE NEED TO BE AWARE OF A THREATENING SITUATION CAUSE BY POOR DESIGN BY KAWASAKI. I FEEL IT IS KAWASAKI?S RESPONSIBILITY TO PROVIDE MY OFFICIAL KAWASAKI DEALER OR MYSELF WITH A REPLACEMENT PART
1993 Kawasaki EX500
Owners filed 2 complaints about this vehicle with federal regulators, most often about the engine and engine cooling › exhaust system › manifold/header/muffler/tail pipe. No safety recall has been issued.
| Component | Reports | Crashes | Fires | Injuries | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Engine and Engine Cooling › Exhaust System › Manifold/Header/Muffler/Tail Pipe | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
What owners reported
Newest filingsON EXHAUST PIPE, BLACK PAINT IS BUBBLING AND PEELING. PEELED HOT PAINT FLIES INTO OTHER RIDERS FACE AND EYES. PLEASE DESCRIBE DETAILS. TT
2 of 2 complaints, reproduced as filed.
Across model years
Worst on record: 1993| Year | Complaints | Recalls | Fires | Deaths | Assessment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1994 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | Routine |
| 1993 — this page | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Routine |
Reading this record
No unusual pattern of severe incidents in the complaint record.
Complaint counts track how many cars were sold and how long they have been on the road as much as they track quality. A common model from 2013 has had a decade to accumulate reports; a rare one from last year has not. The signal worth weighing is in the severity columns, in whether the same component keeps appearing, and in whether the manufacturer eventually opened a recall for it.
Most recent recall on file: none. Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation.