UNCONTROLLED RELEASE OF FUEL FROM TANK THRU TANK BREATHER SYSTEM WHEN MOTORCYCLE IS ON IT'S SIDE ON GROUND. DESIGN FLAW -- REDESIGN REQUIRED -- 2022 KLR 650 RELEASES FUEL FROM THE TANK BREATHER SYSTEM IN EVENT OF INTENTIONAL OR ACCIDENTAL MOTO BECOMING HORIZONTAL TO GROUND WITH NO MEANS OF FUEL SHUTOFF AVAILABLE EXCEPT BY TANK DRAINING TO LEVEL OF BREATHER WITHIN THE TANK. OCCURRENCE HAPPENS WITH UNDAMAGED AND FULLY OPERATIONAL FUEL SYSTEM WHETHER MOTO IS FUNCTIONALLY "ON" OR "OFF". ENVIRONMENTAL DAMAGE AND SAFETY TO PROPERTY, LIFE, AND LIMB, UP TO AND INCLUDING DEATH, CAN OCCUR FROM FUEL CONTAMINATION OR FUEL IGNITION CAUSING BURN RELATED INJURIES/DEATH/DAMAGE, OR FUEL CONTACT COMPLICATIONS. THIS OPERATIONAL SCENARIO IS INHERENT IN THE DESIGN OF THE FUEL SYSTEM, AND IS CONFIRMED BY A DOCUMENTED TRANSCRIPT OF CHAT SESSION WITH KAWASAKI SUPPORT ON 7/24/2023 (ATTACHED). IT IS ESPECIALLY DANGEROUS TO A PINNED/INJURED OPERATOR OF THE MOTO THAT CANNOT REMOVE THEMSELVES FROM THE PROXIMITY. IT IS ALSO HIGHLY PROBABLE FOR THIS TYPE OF MOTO THAT IS USED IN OFF-ROAD REMOTE OPERATION WHERE SITUATIONS FOR LOSS OF CONTROL OF THE MOTO ARE ENCOUNTERED FREQUENTLY. INCIDENT OF UNCONTROLLED FUEL LOSS WAS FIRST EXPERIENCED 7/4/2023 WHEN THIS VIN MOTO ACCIDENTALLY FELL TO THE GROUND ON IT'S RIGHT SIDE WHILE STOPPED AND "OFF". OWNER/RIDER AT THE TIME OBSERVED LEAKING FUEL FROM BREATHER SYSTEM WITH NO MEANS OF SHUTTING THE FLOW OFF. FREE FLOWING FUEL CONTINUED TO EXIT FROM THE BREATHER TUBE UNTIL
2022 Kawasaki KL650
Owners filed 2 complaints about this vehicle with federal regulators, most often about the fuel/propulsion system. No safety recall has been issued.
| Component | Reports | Crashes | Fires | Injuries | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fuel/Propulsion System | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
What owners reported
Newest filingsThe fuel pump failed while traveling northbound on hwy 127 in Glencoe, KY. The motorcycle lost power and had to be pushed to a parking lot and towed home because it would not start. No warning lamp came on. A recall exists for this part and I am waiting on its arrival at the dealership. No one was injured, though I had to contend with an unsafe situation pushing the bike alongside the highway.
2 of 2 complaints, reproduced as filed.
Across model years
Worst on record: 2022| Year | Complaints | Recalls | Fires | Deaths | Assessment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 — this page | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Routine |
| 1993 | 1 | 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.