2023 KAWASAKI KLR650

0 recalls — 19 complaints — 2 TSBs

No recalls found for this vehicle.

Complaint Statistics

19 total complaints 1 injuries

Top Reported Components

ComponentComplaints
STEERING14
STEERING: STEERING WHEEL/HANDLE BAR2
SUSPENSION1
ENGINE1
POWER TRAIN1
STEERING Aug 15, 2024
Incident date: Aug 14, 2024
This is a new Kawasaki KLR 650 motorcycle with 220 miles now on it and there is a steering issue at low speeds from 5 to 15 mph. It feels like the steering is catching and you have to fight the handlebars to get the motorcycle to turn. This is dangerous when starting off or at low speeds in traffic.... Read more
STEERING Jun 24, 2024
Incident date: Jun 21, 2024
When making a slow speed turn that requires a little extra handlebar input the bike seems to act like the steering head is stuck, gets briefly stuck in a "notch" and then releases making it very hard to be smooth in a slow speed trun which can be very dangerous depending on traffic/road way situatio... Read more
STEERING Apr 16, 2024
Incident date: Apr 12, 2024
I bought the motorcycle new from the dealer. At low speeds (12mph - 30 moh), the steering "catches" or "falls off" suddenly. Sometimes if feels like there are notches in the steering. I took it to the dealer to fix and they loosened the steering head nut above the head bearings. It seemed OK for abo... Read more
STEERING Apr 9, 2024
Incident date: Mar 16, 2024
Steering bearing overtorqued by factory, dealer warranty loostened and readjusted, initial tendency, failure to return to neutral, rough bearing feeling, caused many near misses with vehicles ahead, problem unresolved, I can feel it, dealer can not. Contra Costa Powersports, 1150 Concord Ave Ste 10... Read more
POWER TRAIN Apr 9, 2024
Incident date: Mar 16, 2024
Steering bearing overtorqued by factory, dealer warranty loostened and readjusted, initial tendency, failure to return to neutral, rough bearing feeling, caused many near misses with vehicles ahead, problem unresolved, I can feel it, dealer can not. Contra Costa Powersports, 1150 Concord Ave Ste 10... Read more
ENGINE Apr 9, 2024
Incident date: Mar 16, 2024
Steering bearing overtorqued by factory, dealer warranty loostened and readjusted, initial tendency, failure to return to neutral, rough bearing feeling, caused many near misses with vehicles ahead, problem unresolved, I can feel it, dealer can not. Contra Costa Powersports, 1150 Concord Ave Ste 10... Read more
STEERING Dec 18, 2023
Incident date: Jul 19, 2023
When the front brake is applied, especially in a hard braking situation the entire Steering mechanism turns to the right. This unavailable steering turn to the right that cannot be overcome by the rider can result in a loss of control. I’ve been riding for over 50 years having owned most motorcycl... Read more
STEERING: STEERING WHEEL/HANDLE BAR Nov 20, 2023
Incident date: Nov 19, 2023
The contact owns a 2023 Kawasaki KLR650. The contact stated while driving approximately 20-25 MPH and attempting to make a left or right turn, the motorcycle seemed to make a sharp turn. The contact stated that the front-end seemed to be uneven with the rear-end of the motorcycle. The motorcycle had... Read more
STEERING Sep 30, 2023
Incident date: Sep 28, 2023
Low speed steering acts as though the steering head bearings are grabbing then releasing making it impossible to execute a smooth turn. Sometimes when this happens it results in an abrupt turn-in almost causing a low-side situation. I will be taking this KLR-650 Adventure back to the dealership with... Read more
SUSPENSION Sep 25, 2023
Incident date: May 3, 2023
The contact owns a 2023 Kawasaki KLR650 Motorcycle. The contact stated that while riding at an undisclosed speed, he became aware that the handlebar was wobbly and unstable. No warning lights were illuminated. The motorcycle was not taken to the dealer or an independent mechanic to be diagnosed or r... Read more
STEERING: STEERING WHEEL/HANDLE BAR Sep 25, 2023
Incident date: May 3, 2023
The contact owns a 2023 Kawasaki KLR650 Motorcycle. The contact stated that while riding at an undisclosed speed, he became aware that the handlebar was wobbly and unstable. No warning lights were illuminated. The motorcycle was not taken to the dealer or an independent mechanic to be diagnosed or r... Read more
STEERING Sep 1, 2023
Incident date: Aug 28, 2023
The steering nut is torqued to tight and it makes the handle bars stick and not rotate smoothly
STEERING Sep 1, 2023
Incident date: Sep 1, 2023
The steering gets heavy in slow traffic. A lot of the same complaints from our group on Facebook but Kawasaki won't recall the issue. A lot of people reported that the headtube was over-tightened by the manufacturer. Some dealerships fix them but some charge people. I have a 2023 KAWASAKI KLR650 at ... Read more
STEERING Aug 30, 2023
Incident date: Aug 1, 2023
Steering very unstable at slow speeds and seems to catch and make turning dangerous and difficult. This is a known problem with this model and Kawasaki has admitted that the steering nut was overtorqued and the bearings were installed improperly but dealers say there’s nothing wrong.
STEERING Aug 29, 2023
Incident date: Aug 5, 2023
The steering nut for the handlebars of the motorcycle seem to have been overtightened. This causes a noticeable catch in the steering at low speeds, especially when making a turn from a stop. This causes unsafe handling characteristics in the motorcycle as it makes the operator oversteer in slow s... Read more
STEERING Aug 29, 2023
Incident date: Aug 1, 2023
Driving at low speeds the steering has a pull to it. Kawasaki has acknowledged the stem is overtorqued from factory but has yet to issue a recall and I still haven't heard back about them fixing it. This is a serious problem as I've almost been brought into a curb on several occasion even spraining ... Read more
1 injured
STEERING Aug 8, 2023
Incident date: Aug 7, 2023
Unknown Multiple people reported to have issue with stiff steering during low speed including my motorcycle because of defective steering head bearings. Critical safety issues. No recall have been done .
STEERING Aug 6, 2023
Incident date: Aug 6, 2023
The vehicle has a dangerous steering issue. While in a slower speed turn, the vehicle's steering becomes restricted, and then unexpectedly free's up, which almost causes a crash. Some are referring to this a the "steering notch issue". There are multiple references to this issue in online forums. Th... Read more
STEERING Jul 29, 2023
Incident date: Jul 27, 2023
Motorcycle with ML serial numbers have been overtorqued steering bearing nuts from factory, multiple problems showing up. Steering on mine locked up in a turn, but was able to force it to straighten out. Kawasaki is aware they overtorqued (via multiple sources) but has not released a tech bulletin, ... Read more

Technical Service Bulletins — 2023 KAWASAKI KLR650

2 manufacturer communications from 2 unique bulletins. TSBs describe known problems and recommended fixes from the manufacturer.

Most Affected Components

ComponentBulletins
353000 EQUIPMENT:ELECTRICAL1
160000 STRUCTURE1
MC24-01 Jan 25, 2024
160000 STRUCTURE
Service Information about a shipping bracket attaching the motorcycle to the crate can cause damage to the motorcycle fuel tank if removed.
MC22-06 Oct 11, 2022
353000 EQUIPMENT:ELECTRICAL
Some 2023 Kawasaki motorcycle models require a??service activationa?? in KVCS before delivery to the customer.

KAWASAKI KLR650 — All Years Overview

Complete safety history for the KAWASAKI KLR650 across all model years (2008–2008).

1 Total Recalls
229 Total Complaints
0 Investigations
0 Reported Crashes
1 Reported Fires
0 Reported Deaths

KAWASAKI KLR650 — Year by Year

Compare recalls and complaints across model years. Click any year to see full details.

Year Recalls Complaints
2024 0 2 View
2023 (current) 0 19
2022 0 3 View
2017 0 1 View
2009 0 8 View
2008 1 129 View
2006 0 1 View
2005 0 1 View
2003 0 7 View
2002 0 12 View
2001 0 20 View
2000 0 9 View
1999 0 7 View
1998 0 6 View
1997 0 1 View
1995 0 1 View
1993 0 2 View

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Model Recalls Complaints
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NINJA 1000 10 0 View
W800 10 0 View
NINJA ZX-10R 9 12 View
ZX1002A 9 0 View