2013 Kawasaki Ninja 300

Defect. Kawasaki Motors Corp. is recalling certain model year 2013 Ninja 300 and 300 ABS motorcycles manufactured July 16, 2012, through April 27, 2013. Due to an improper setting in the Electronic Control Unit (ECU), the motorcycle may stall under deceleration.

Risk. A stall under deceleration increases the risk of a crash.

Remedy. Kawasaki will notify owners, and dealers will replace the ECU. The recall began on August 5, 2013. Owners may contact Kawasaki at 1-866-802-9381.

CONNECTING ROD BOLTS BACK OUT AROUND 6000 MILES ON A LOT OF BIKES INCLUDING MINE STARTS WITH KNOCKING NOISE LET ME KNOW WHAT TO DO

KAWASAKI IS SELLING THEIR 2012, 2013 AND 2014 NINJA 650S WITH A DEFECTIVE FRONT TIRE. THE TIRE IS DUNLOP'S SPORTSMAX 2, FRONT 120/70ZR17(58. THEY LAST ABOUT 5 MONTHS BEFORE THE TIRE DEVELOPS DRY-ROT IN THE TREAD AREA. THIS IS THE SECOND TIME IT HAS HAPPENED TO ME AND OTHERS ARE REPORTING ON MOTORCYCLE FORUMS. I PURCHASED THE BIKE ON MARCH 1ST AND IT COMES WITH A 1 YEAR WARRANTY. THE FIRST TIME IT HAPPENED KAWASAKI HONORED THEIR WARRANTY AND REPLACED IT WITH THE SAME TIRE ON AUGUST 14TH. ON JANUARY 13TH, 2014 I FILED ANOTHER CLAIM WITH KAWASAKI AND SENT THEM PHOTOGRAPHS OF IT HAPPENING YET AGAIN. IT DOES NOT SEEM LIKE THEY ARE GOING TO REPLACE THE TIRE EVEN THOUGH THE BIKE IS STILL UNDER WARRANTY. THE TIRE THEY REPLACED HAS 95% OF ITS TREAD LIFE LEFT AND IT'D SEEM KAWASAKI HAS NO REGARD FOR THEIR CUSTOMERS' SAFETY. EVERY AREA OF THE ENTIRE TIRE TREAD IS SEVERELY DRY-ROTTED A SECOND TIME AND YET I'VE ONLY HAD THE TIRE 5 MONTHS. *TR

WHILE DRIVING DOWN BARKER CYPRESS I WAS APPROACHING A LIGHT. I STARTED DOWNSHIFTING AND APPLYING MY REAR BRAKE. WHEN I PRESSED DOWN ON THE REAR BRAKE, THERE WAS A THUG THEN NOTHING, NO GRIP, NO TIGHTENING, NOTHING BUT AIR. I DID NOT HAVE BRAKES. I REALIZED I WAS GOING TO HIT THE CAR IN FRONT OF ME, I SWERVED BETWEEN THE CAR, HIT MY LEG ON THE BUMPER AND LAID THE BIKE DOWN. I HAD THE BIKE TOWED TO HOUSTON MOTORSPORTS AS THE BIKE IS UNDER WARRANTY. HOUSTON MOTORSPORTS IS REFUSING TO HONOR THE WARRANTY ON THE BIKE FOR DEFECTIVE BRAKES. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2013 KAWASAKI NINJA 300 MOTORCYCLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 30 MPH, THE VEHICLE STALLED WITHOUT WARNING. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 2,050. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2013 KAWASAKI NINJA 300 MOTORCYCLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 40 MPH, HE ATTEMPTED TO DOWN SHIFT BUT THE VEHICLE STALLED WITHOUT WARNING. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO A DEALER FOR INSPECTION. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 20. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE.

THE MOTORCYCLE STALLED SEVERAL TIMES IN TRAFFIC, WHEN THE CLUTCH WAS ENGAGED. THIS HAPPENED SEVERAL TIMES SINCE BUT THE ENGINE ALWAYS RESTARTS IMMEDIATELY. *TR

WHEN SLOWING DOWN FROM ALMOST ANY SPEED , AS YOU DOWN SHIFT THE GEARS THE BIKE WILL DIE COMPLETELY, THUS FORCING ME TO STOP AND RESTART THE BIKE, EVEN IN HIGHWAY OCCURRENCES . STEERING BEARINGS ARE FAULTY AFTER ONLY 100 MILES AND ALMOST THROUGH ME OFF THE BIKE IN MULTIPLE TURNS. *TR

JUST PURCHASED THE NINJA 300 WITH 2 MILES ON IT, FIRST 2 WEEKS WAS FINE, UNTIL I STARTED TO TAKE IT TO WORK. EVERY TIME I WOULD LEAVE FROM WORK MY MOTORCYCLE WILL STALL AT EVERY STOP LIGHT/SIGN UNTIL I HIT THE FREEWAY (BASICALLY ANY TIME I PULLED IN THE CLUTCH TO SLOW DOWN). AFTER I GET OFF THE FREEWAY THE MOTORCYCLE SEEMS TO BE FINE. I THOUGHT MAYBE IT WAS BECAUSE I HAD TO DO THE FIRST SERVICE, THIS IS MY FIRST BIKE SO I DID NOT KNOW BETTER, WHEN I TOOK IT IN FOR THE BREAK IN SERVICE I LET THEM KNOW OF THE PROBLEM, THEY TOLD ME THE RPM'S MIGHT JUST BE A LITTLE LOW AND THEY WOULD RAISE IDLE. I GOT IT BACK TOOK IT TO WORK AND THE PROBLEM WAS STILL THERE. ONLY SEEMS TO HAPPEN IN THE AFTERNOON WHEN THE SUN IS OUT, IT HAS NEVER HAPPENED TO ME IN THE MORNINGS. *TR

I WAS RIDING THE MOTORCYCLE ON A PUBLIC STREET. A VEHICLE WAS APPROACHING ME ON A NARROW ROAD, WHEN I DOWNSHIFTED FROM 6TH GEAR TO 5TH GEAR TO SLOW DOWN, MY MOTORCYCLE'S ENGINE STALLED OUT. I PURCHASED THE MOTORCYCLE NEW FROM THE DEALER WITH ONLY 5 MILES ON THE ODOMETER. SINCE I'VE OWNED THE BIKE (PURCHASED ON 07/17/2013) THE ENGINE HAS STALLED WHEN ENGINE BREAKING OR DOWNSHIFTING SEVERAL TIMES NOW, WITH THE MOST RECENT OCCURRENCE'S HAPPENING ON 07/25/2013. *TR

THE BIKE SHUTS OFF AS SOON AS YOU PULL IN THE CLUTCH TO START BRAKING. IT HAS DONE THIS NUMEROUS TIMES SINCE I BOUGHT IT BRAND NEW WITH 0 MILES. I HAVE OWNED MY BIKE FOR ABOUT 3 MONTHS AND HAVE JUST DONE THE FIRST MAINTANANCE AT KAWASAKI DEALER. AT FIRST I THOUGHT IT WAS BECAUSE THE BIKE WAS COLD BUT EVEN AFTER A 10 MINUTE WARM UP THE BIKE WILL SHUT OFF ALMOST AT EVERY STOPLIGHT/STOP SIGN WHEN I PULL IN THE CLUTCH UNLESS I CONSTANTLY REV IT TO A COMPLETE STOP. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2013 KAWASAKI NINJA MOTORCYCLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 35 MPH, THE VEHICLE STALLED WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS RESTARTED AND BEGAN TO LUNGE VIOLENTLY. AS THE CONTACT TRIED TO REGAIN CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE, ANOTHER VEHICLE CRASHED INTO THE CONTACT'S VEHICLE. THE CONTACT SUSTAINED A FRACTURED SHOULDER. A POLICE REPORT WAS NOT FILED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS UNKNOWN.

I HAVE FOUND THAT DURING APPROXIMATELY THE FIRST 10 MIN YOU ARE RIDING THE BIKE, IF YOU ARE ABOVE 3500 RPM AND PULL IN THE CLUTCH AND COAST FOR AN EXTENDED PERIOD OF TIME THE VEHICLE WILL STALL. I HAVE LEARNED TO WATCH FOR THE STALL BUT IT WILL STILL CATCH YOU OFF GUARD ON OCCASION WHEN YOU LET GO OF THE CLUTCH AND WANT TO GO AND THE BIKE LURCHES AND THROWS OFF YOUR BALANCE. ESPECIALLY IN A TURN!!! *TR

MY FIRST BIKE, I RIDE HER WHEN THERE ISN'T TRAFFIC,3 DAYS/WK FROM MAY-JULY '13. I RODE HER TO WORK MONDAY. AS I APPROACHED A LIGHT AT 30 MPH, LIGHT TURNS RED, I START TO SLOW DOWN, AS I PULLED THE CLUTCH IN TO DOWN SHIFT TO A LOWER GEAR, MY BIKE STALLED ON ME. THE IDLE DROPPED, NO WARNINGS OR ANYTHING, IT JUST TURNS OFF. I TURNED HER BACK ON, SEEMS TO START UP FINE. I PROCEEDED TO THE STOP LIGHT TO GET ONTO THE FREEWAY. I''M DRIVING HER ON THE FREEWAY, GOING MY NORMAL SPEED, BUT SOMETHING FELT DIFFERENT, SHE WASN'T PUSHING AT HER NORMAL SPEED. AS I SPED UP ON THE FREEWAY SHIFTING FROM ONE GEAR TO THE NEXT, SHE WASN'T GIVING ME THE RIGHT POWER. HER RPM SOUNDED OFF AS IF I WAS RED-LINING ON 3RD GEAR, BUT RPM WAS 4000.I EXITED THE FREEWAY AT ABOUT 55 MPH, STARTED TO DOWNSHIFT TO SLOW DOWN FOR TRAFFIC LIGHTS.I DOWNSHIFTED TO SLOW. CONTINUED TO DOWN SHIFT FROM 3RD TO 2ND, AS I PULLED IN THE CLUTCH, THE IDLE DROPPED & IT STALLED AGAIN. I STARTED HER BACK UP AGAIN AND PROCEEDED TO GO WITH A GREEN LIGHT. I AM GOING ABOUT 15-20 MPH AND PULLED IN THE CLUTCH AND APPLIED THE BRAKES TO COME TO ANOTHER FULL STOP BUT THE IDLE DROPPED AND STALLED AGAIN. WHAT I DID TO PREVENT HER FROM STALLING ON ME AFTER TURNING HER BACK ON AT A RED LIGHT IS INSTEAD OF HOLDING IN THE CLUTCH WAITING FOR THE LIGHT TO TURN GREEN, I SLOWLY LET THE CLUTCH OUT, BARELY MAKING HER MOVE, AT THE SAME TIME HOLDING DOWN THE BRAKES WHILE GIVING HER VERY LITTLE GAS SO THAT THE IDLE STAYS UP W/O STALLING.I CALLED MY BROTHE

AS I WAS CRUISING ALONG I CAME UP TO A STOP SIGN I PULL IN THE CLUTCH TO DOWN SHIFT AND THE RPMS DROPPED TO ZERO, I HELD THE CLUTCH IN AND PUSHED THE STARTER BUTTON THE BIKE STARTED BACK UP. THIS HAS HAPPENED 8 TIMES IN THE PASSED 2 DAYS. *TR

BAD WOBBLE THRU HANDLE BARS ON DECELERATION FROM ABOUT 100 KMPH. IF YOU LIFT YOUR HANDS OFF THE BARS ABOUT 1 CENTIMETRE THE BIKE SLOWS DOWN & BARS SHAKE VERY BADLY, HAS MAJOR POTENTIAL TO CAUSE CRASH.THE CURE IS TO REPLACE THE STOCK BEARINGS WITH TAPERED ROLLER BEARINGS.HAS AFFECTED EVERY KAWASAKI NINJA 250 SINCE 1996 & THE SAME IN THE 2012 & ABOVE NINJA 300 DUE TO POOR BEARING CHOICE AT FACTORY & SWAME PATS USED ON THE 250 AS WELL AS 300.USUALLY NEEDS TO BE REPLACED AROUND THE 5000 KILOMETER MARK WITH TAPERED ROLLER BEARINGS AS WOBBLE/SHAKE IS SO BAD. *TR

HAD IT PARKED AT WORK AND WHEN I LEFT TO COME HOME IT STALLED OUT FIVE SEPARATE TIMES IN 2 MILES. EVERY TIME WAS WHEN I WAS SLOWING DOWN. IT WOULD JUST SHUT DOWN, NO WARNING. FIRST TIME I PULLED OFF SIDE OF THE ROAD TO AVOID BEING REAR ENDED BY A TRUCK. THE SECOND TIME SLOWING FOR A STOP SIGN. SAME ON THE THIRD , FOURTH AND FIFTH. BY THE TIME I MADE IT HOME I WAS A NERVOUS WRECK. THIS IS RIDICULOUS THE BIKE ONLY HAS 27 MILES ON IT. I'M REALLY TICKED OFF AND THIS IS NOT SAFE THERE NEEDS TO BE A RECALL. *TR

I WAS TRAVELING 40MPH, WHILE ATTEMPTING TO DOWN SHIFT, I PULLED MY CLUTCH IN, THE BIKE'S RPM FALLS TO ZERO AND THE ENGINE DIES. THERE WAS NO WAY TO SAVE THE BIKE, BLIPPING THE THROTTLE WITH THE DOWNSHIFT DID NOTHING TO SAVE IT FROM STALLING. THIS HAPPENS EVERYDAY THAT THE BIKE SITS IN THE SUN WHILE I WAS AT WORK. THE BIKE USUALLY DIES AT THE SAME TRAFFIC LIGHT THAT I STOP AT, USUALLY IT DIES 2-3 TIMES DOWN THE ROAD AT TRAFFIC LIGHTS THEN THE STALLING PROBLEM GOES AWAY. NOW, I FEAR FOR MY SAFETY, WHAT WOULD HAPPEN IF I HAPPEN TO UPSHIFT IN THAT CORNER AND THE ENGINE STALL, HAVING CARS BEHIND ME COULD BE A DANGEROUS SITUATION, BECAUSE THEY WOULDN'T KNOW WHY I SLOW DOWN SUDDENLY WHILE COMING TO A STOP AFTER A CORNER. I DON'T WANT TO GET REAR ENDED BECAUSE OF THE BIKE'S PROBLEM. *TR

I WAS DRIVING MAKING A RIGHT TURN AND THE ENGINE STARTED MAKING A LOUD BANGING NOISE. IT MADE IT 3 TIMES AND THE ENGINE JUST CUT OFF. I ALMOST GOT INTO A ACCIDENT. ON TOP OF THAT THE RIGHT FENDER ON MY BIKE KEEPS POPPING OUT OF THE SOCKET AND JUST HANGS THERE I CALLED KAWASAKI DEALERSHIP ABOUT IT SEVERAL TIMES.. THIS IS MY FIRST BIKE.. *TR

THE FIRST TIME THIS BIKE STALLED ON ME WAS AROUND 400 MILES. I WARMED THE BIKE UP FOR ABOUT 5 MINUTES THEN PULLED OUT OF THE DRIVEWAY. GOT DOWN THE STREET ABOUT 2 BLOCKS AND LET OFF THE THROTTLE TO ALLOW THE ENGINE TO BRAKE ITSELF AND AROUND 15 MPH I CLUTCHED IN AND APPLIED BOTH BRAKES. THEN I NOTICED THE BIKE WAS ROLLING WITHOUT ANY ENGINE POWER SO I LOOKED DOWN AND MY POWER WAS OFF. LUCKILY THIS WAS IN A RESIDENTIAL NEIGHBORHOOD SO I PULLED OVER AND DIDN'T GET RAN OVER. I HAD NO CLUE WHAT WAS GOING ON THINKING IT WAS JUST A ONE TIME THING AND STARTED THE ENGINE AGAIN AND WENT ON. HOWEVER, JUST A FEW DAYS AGO IT HAPPENED AGAIN. THE BIKE AT THE TIME HAS ABOUT 2800 MILES. THIS TIME WAS WORSE. JUST AS BEFORE I WARMED UP THE BIKE FOR ABOUT 5 MINUTES BEFORE TAKING OFF. I LEFT WORK AND WENT DOWN THE STREET ABOUT A BLOCK AND ALLOW THE ENGINE TO BRAKE ITSELF BEFORE I USE THE CLUTCH TO DOWN SHIFT AND APPLY THE BRAKES. IT STALLS. THERE WAS A LOT OF TRAFFIC WHERE I WORK SO I MANAGED TO PULL OVER AND RESTARTED IT. WENT ABOUT ANOTHER BLOCK AND AS I WAS SLOWING DOWN IT STALLS AGAIN. THIS HAPPENED FOUR TIMES IN ABOUT 10 MINUTES. THE FOURTH TIME IT HAPPENED I PULLED OVER TO THE GAS STATION THAT WAS (LUCKILY) RIGHT NEXT TO ME. GOT OFF AND CHECKED AROUND THE BIKE TO SEE IF ANYTHING WAS WRONG AND DECIDED TO ADJUST THE IDLE HIGHER. STARTED THE BIKE AND REVVED IT A FEW TIMES TO SEE IF THE IDLE READJUSTS OR STALLS AGAIN. TOOK OFF AND STARTED RIDING HOME. STARTING OFF AND SLOWING DOWN WAS SLUGGISH

THE ENGINE ON THE MOTORCYCLE STALLED WHEN I PULLED IN THE CLUTCH TO DOWNSHIFT. I WAS IN 6TH GEAR AND GOING AROUND 40 MPH AND NEEDED TO START SLOWING DOWN TO MAKE A TURN UP AHEAD. WHEN I PULLED IN THE CLUTCH TO DOWNSHIFT, THE ENGINE TOTALLY CUT OUT. THE ENGINE STARTED BACK UP AGAIN WHEN I RELEASED THE CLUTCH, SIMILAR TO A ROLL START, BUT I WAS STILL IN 6TH GEAR, SO THE BIKE BARELY GOT GOING AND SHUTTERED QUITE A BIT. I IMMEDIATELY DOWNSHIFTED A COUPLE OF GEARS AND THAT BALANCED IT OUT. I THEN TURNED INTO MY APARTMENT COMPLEX IN 3RD GEAR AND DROVE AROUND TO MY APARTMENT. I PULLED IN THE CLUTCH TO SLOW DOWN AS I REACHED MY GARAGE LOCATION AND THE BIKE STALLED AGAIN. AT THAT POINT, I WAS CLOSE ENOUGH TO MY GARAGE TO JUST COAST THE REST OF THE WAY UNTIL I STOPPED IN FRONT OF MY GARAGE. THAT WAS THE FIRST TIME THE ENGINE STALLED ON THIS BIKE AND IT HAS HAPPENED AGAIN SINCE THAT TIME. I HAVE READ NUMEROUS REPORTS FROM OTHER OWNERS ABOUT THIS VERY SAME ISSUE ON THE KAWASAKININJA300.COM FORUM. THERE ARE NOW 60 PAGES OF REPORTS AND DISCUSSIONS ON THIS ISSUE IN THE FORUM. HERE IS THE LINK FOR YOUR REFERENCE AND RESEARCH HTTP://WWW.KAWASAKININJA300.COM/FORUM/11-NINJA-300-ISSUES-TROUBLESHOOTING/928-NINJA-300-STALL.HTML. IF THIS ENGINE STALL WERE TO HAPPEN AT THE WRONG TIME (IN THE MIDDLE OF A TURN, WHEN YOU SUDDENLY HAVE TO SPEED UP TO AVOID AN ISSUE, ETC.), THIS ISSUE COULD EASILY RESULT IN A SERIOUS ACCIDENT AND/ OR FATALITY. THIS IS OBVIOUSLY A VERY SERIOUS ISSUE AND KAWASAKI NEEDS TO