2009 Kawasaki KLR650

THE KLR 650 REAR SIGNAL LIGHTS ARE MADE WITH DEFECTIVE RUBBER THAT CAUSES THEM TO BREAK AND DANGLE BY THE ELECTRICAL WIRES. SOME OF THE 2008 MODELS WERE RECALLED, MINE IS A 2009. I CONTACTED KAWASAKI AND THEY SAID THERE IS NOT AN OPEN RECALL FOR THIS ISSUE AND CONTACTED THE LOCAL DEALER AND THEY SAID THEY WOULD CHECK WITH KAWASAKI FOR A COURTESY FIX. THAT WAS ABOUT A MONTH AGO AND I NEVER HEARD BACK FROM THEM. THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE NOT HAVING WORKING TURN SIGNALS AND WAS HOPING YOU COULD ASSIST ME WITH THIS ISSUE. JUST A QUICK NOTE, THIS BIKE HAS NEVER BEEN WREAKED AND STAYS IN A COVERED AREA. *TR

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.

IT IS MY FIRM BELIEF THAT THIS VEHICLE (2009 KLR MANUFACTURED IN OCT. 2008) SHOULD ALSO BE RECALLED FOR THE WIRING HARNESS AS THE PREVIOUS MODEL (2008 KLR) WAS. THE VEHICLE WILL LOOSE POWER/ELECTRICITY TO THE SPARK PLUG WHEN THE HANDLEBARS ARE TURNED WHICH IN TURN MOVES THE WIRING/WIRING HARNESS. THE PREVIOUS RECALL WAS INITIATED DUE TO WIRING HARNESS ISSUES. I RECENTLY HAD TO TOW MY KLR FROM THE SIDE OF THE FREEWAY AS IT LOST POWER WHILE TRAVELING AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS IN THE BUSY CITY OF AUSTIN, TX. LUCKILY, THE VEHICLES THAT WERE NEXT TO ME WERE ABLE TO AVOID ME BUT THIS MAY HAVE LEAD TO ANOTHER FATALITY OR A SERIOUS ACCIDENT/INJURY. AFTER TAKING TIME TO LOOK INTO THE NON-START ISSUE (INITIALLY BELIEVED TO BE A FUEL ISSUE), I NOTICE THAT THE VEHICLE WILL PRODUCE A SPARK WHEN TURNED TO THE RIGHT AND SHUTTING OFF WHEN TURNED TO THE LEFT. I BELIEVE THAT KAWASAKI SHOULD INITIATE A RECALL ON THEIR OWN BEHALF AND REPLACE THE ELECTRICAL HARNESSES FOR THESE VEHICLES BEFORE SOMEONE IS KILLED OR SERIOUSLY INJURED. I HAVE VIDEO FOOTAGE AVAILABLE WHICH CLEARLY SHOWS THE ISSUE. THANK YOU...I CAN BE REACHED VIA E-MAIL AT [XXX]@GMAIL.COM INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).' *JB

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

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 KAWASAKI KLR650 MOTORCYCLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 65 MPH, THE ENGINE STALLED WITHOUT WARNING. THE MOTORCYCLE WAS NOT ABLE TO RESTART. THE MOTORCYCLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE AND STATED THAT THE MOTORCYCLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 09V062000 (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM). THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 10,026.