2009 Kawasaki KLR650: complaints, problems and recalls
Explore the records behind recurring owner reports.
Key facts
6 owner complaints analyzed
0 distinct recall campaigns
7,750 mi median reported failure mileage
Scope: 2009 model year. Data snapshot: . 6 complaints include usable failure mileage.
This selection has limited data. It remains available for lookup but is excluded from search indexing.
Most common problems
Electrical System is the most frequently named component, appearing in 3 of 6 complaints (50.0%). A complaint can name multiple components.
| Topic | Matching reports | Share of complaints |
|---|---|---|
| Electrical and battery issues | 4 | 66.7% |
| Engine operation | 3 | 50.0% |
Topic matches use published keyword rules. They describe mentions, including negations or comparisons, and do not confirm a diagnosis. Read the matching rules.
Component breakdown
Number of unique complaints naming each component. Top eight shown.
| Category | Count |
|---|---|
| Electrical System | 3 |
| Engine | 3 |
| Exterior Lighting | 1 |
| Structure:Body | 1 |
Electrical System: 3; Engine: 3; Exterior Lighting: 1; Structure:Body: 1
Reported problems by failure mileage
Complaint counts in mileage bands. These are not failure rates per vehicle or mile.
| Category | Count |
|---|---|
| Under 25,000 | 5 |
| 25,000 to 49,999 | 1 |
| 50,000 to 74,999 | 0 |
| 75,000 to 99,999 | 0 |
| 100,000 to 149,999 | 0 |
| 150,000 and above | 0 |
Under 25,000: 5; 25,000 to 49,999: 1; 50,000 to 74,999: 0; 75,000 to 99,999: 0; 100,000 to 149,999: 0; 150,000 and above: 0
Under 25,000 miles has the most reports with usable mileage (5). 0 complaints have missing, zero or invalid mileage.
Complaints over time
Year the complaint was filed, not the vehicle model year or incident year. The snapshot year is partial.
| Category | Count |
|---|---|
| 2014 | 3 |
| 2015 | 2 |
| 2016 | 1 |
2014: 3; 2015: 2; 2016: 1
Pattern summary
Electrical System leads the component reports. Electrical and battery issues appears in 4 complaint narratives. Engine operation appears in 3 complaint narratives. Use these patterns to inspect individual reports and prepare questions for a mechanic.
Calculated from recorded counts. An AI narrative has not been published for this selection.
Examples from the source records
Examples provide context, not a representative sample or a verified diagnosis.
Owner report 10616825 · 2014-07-28 (July 28, 2014)
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.
Owner-reported narrative. 10,026 miles reported. Look up ODI 10616825 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10628440 · 2014-08-26 (August 26, 2014)
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 T…
Owner-reported narrative. 5,500 miles reported. Look up ODI 10628440 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10667231 · 2014-12-19 (December 19, 2014)
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.
Owner-reported narrative. 3,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10667231 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10811287 · 2015-12-19 (December 19, 2015)
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 M…
Owner-reported narrative. 30,628 miles reported. Look up ODI 10811287 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10811996 · 2015-12-23 (December 23, 2015)
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.
Owner-reported narrative. 9,500 miles reported. Look up ODI 10811996 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10917186 · 2016-10-18 (October 18, 2016)
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…
Owner-reported narrative. 6,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10917186 at NHTSA ↗
Recall history
0 distinct campaigns affect this selection. Announcement dates below are different from vehicle model years. A campaign may cover multiple years.
No recall campaigns are recorded in this snapshot.