2002 Kawasaki KLR650 problems and owner complaints
Explore the records behind recurring owner reports.
Key facts
11 owner complaints analyzed
0 distinct recall campaigns
3,000 mi median reported failure mileage
Scope: 2002 model year. Data updated: . 5 complaints include usable failure mileage. View data status.
Most common problems
Engine And Engine Cooling is the most frequently named component, appearing in 5 of 11 complaints (45.5%). A complaint can name multiple components.
| Topic | Matching reports | Share of complaints |
|---|---|---|
| Transmission and shifting | 1 | 9.1% |
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 |
|---|---|
| Engine And Engine Cooling | 5 |
| Engine And Engine Cooling:Cooling System | 1 |
| Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine | 1 |
| Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine:Gasoline | 1 |
| Power Train | 1 |
| Suspension | 1 |
| Tires | 1 |
| Visibility:Rearview Mirrors/Devices:Exterior | 1 |
Engine And Engine Cooling: 5; Engine And Engine Cooling:Cooling System: 1; Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine: 1; Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine:Gasoline: 1; Power Train: 1; Suspension: 1; Tires: 1; Visibility:Rearview Mirrors/Devices:Exterior: 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 | 0 |
| 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: 0; 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). 6 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 |
|---|---|
| 2002 | 1 |
| 2003 | 5 |
| 2005 | 2 |
| 2006 | 1 |
| 2007 | 1 |
| 2009 | 1 |
2002: 1; 2003: 5; 2005: 2; 2006: 1; 2007: 1; 2009: 1
Pattern summary
Engine And Engine Cooling leads the component reports. Transmission and shifting appears in 1 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.
Complaint evidence
Examples provide context, not a representative sample or a verified diagnosis.
Owner report 10047386 · 2003-11-22 (November 22, 2003)
SUBJECT: 2002 KAWASAKI KLR650. NOVEMBER 2003, 16,500+ MILES: DAVIS SERVICE CENTER, MONTROSE, COLORADO, WAS ASKED TO REPLACE THE STOCK COUNTERBALANCER CHAIN TENSIONER LEVER WITH A STAINLESS STEEL UPGRADE FROM EAGLE MANUFACTURING & ENGINEERING. THIS WAS TO BE PREVENTIVE MAINTENANCE SINCE I'VE HEARD FROM THAT THIS IS A WEAK POINT. UPON INTERNAL INSPECTION, THE STOCK COUNTER BALANCED CHAIN TENSIONER LEVER WAS FOUND TO BE BROKEN. A BROKEN PIECE HAD GOTTEN INTO THE TRANSMISSION MAIN SHAFT BEARING AND DESTROYED THE RACE/BEARING-HOLDER. THE BEARINGS WE…
Owner-reported narrative. 16,500 miles reported. Look up ODI 10047386 at NHTSA ↗
Vehicle analysis explorer
Inspect model-year patterns, reported mileage, monthly activity and the evidence behind each signal.
Data completeness
11 unique complaints in this selection. Analysis snapshot: 2026-10-01.
Missing, zero and invalid mileage is excluded. Dates after the snapshot are excluded. Examples are limited selections, not a representative sample.
Problems by model year
Model-wide comparison of the eight most reported components across the model. Cells show counts and shares within each model year. Open a cell for source examples.
| Component | 2017 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Exterior Lighting | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. |
| Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. |
| Engine And Engine Cooling | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. |
| Steering | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 1487.5%ODI 11535256Motorcycle 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, or service recall on a dangerous situation. Slow speeds steering will have a tight bind at the 12" position, and will have a hard time turning left or right out of the tight spot. Occasionally, turning back into the 12 position will cause a bind/catc… | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. |
| Engine | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 1100.0%ODI 11481956After driving for 1.5 hours the engine will not start. There's less than 600 miles driven. | 16.3%ODI 11582029Steering 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 100, Concord, CA 94520 [phone removed]. Issue regarding drive train, false neutral. Potentially hazardous conditions occurred three times. Pulled over to adjust GPS, engine running, shifted to neutral, neutral light illuminated on dash, put the side st… | 1100.0%ODI 11694562 · 86,000 miThe contact owns a 2024 Kawasaki KLR650. The contact stated that while riding approximately 2-3 MPH, the ABS engaged independently. The contact stated that there was an ABS module failure as well. No warning light was illuminated. The contact stated that the motorcycle downshifted unexpectedly without the clutch being activated. An independent mechanic was contacted. The contact exited the motorcycle and walked the motorcycle to the closest shop. The motorcycle was taken to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed, and determined that t… |
| Electrical System | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 1100.0%ODI 11481956After driving for 1.5 hours the engine will not start. There's less than 600 miles driven. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. |
| Structure | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. |
| Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine:Gasoline | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. |
Darker cells indicate a larger share of submitted complaints. Components overlap. This measures complaint composition, not failure probability.
Failure mileage by component
Median and middle 50% of usable owner-reported mileages. Ranges require at least five records.
| Component | Mileage range (25th–75th percentile) | Median | Usable records | Examples |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Engine And Engine Cooling | Too few reports for a range | 3,000 mi | 3 (sparse) | ODI 10000675 · 2,867 miTHE BALANCER IDLER SHAFT TENSIONING SPRONG WAS DISCOVERED TO BE BROKEN WHEN PREVENTIVE MAINTENANCE WAS CARRIED OUT ON MY 2002 KAWASAKI KLR 650 MOTORCYCLE AT 2867 MILES. POTENTIALLY, THIS FAILURE COULD HAVE CAUSED THE ENGINE TO SIEZE WHILST IN OPERATION. ODI 10105991 · 3,000 miBALANCER TENSIONER SPRING FAILED. I HAD READ REPORTS ON THE INTERNET DESCTIBING THE BALANCER TENSIONER SYSTEM AS BEING PRONE TO FAILURE. I FOUND THAT THE TENSIONER SPRING HAD BROKEN WHERE IT ATTACHES TO THE ENGINE CASE. THE MOTORCYCLE HAS 6706 MILES ON IT. I AM REPLACING THE SPRING AND TENSION ADJUSTER WITH AN IMPROVED AFTERMARKET KIT. THE FAILURE WAS FOUND BEFORE THERE WAS ANY MAJOR DAMAGE TO THE ENGINE.*AK ODI 10187570 · 9,000 miI OWN A 2002 KAWASAKI KLR650 WITH APPROXIMATELY 9500 MILES ON IT. I WAS RIDING AT LOW SPEED ON THE DATE BELOW WHEN I HEARD A LOUD METAL CLANG IN THE ENGINE AND THE MOTORCYCLE CAME TO A SCREECHING HALT. LUCKILY, I WAS ONLY TRAVELING AT 30 MPH AND I WAS NOT IN TRAFFIC. THE CAUSE OF THE INCIDENT WAS NOT IMMEDIATELY KNOWN. WHEN I BROUGHT THE MOTORCYCLE INTO THE REPAIR SHOP, I OBSERVED AFTER THE ENGINE WAS OPENED THAT THE IDLER SHAFT LEVER , A WELDED PIECE OF STEEL, SNAPPED IN HALF, SENDING BOTH BROKEN PIECES INTO THE LOWER END OF ENGINE, A… |
| Engine And Engine Cooling:Cooling System | Too few reports for a range | 300 mi | 1 (sparse) | ODI 10011343 · 300 miNAR 03/05/2003 AFTER THREE CONSECUTIVE TRIPS TO THE REPAIRS SHOP WITHIN 30 DAYS FOR ENGINE OIL LEAK THE CONSUMER NO LONGER WANTS THE VEHICLE. *CB |
| Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine | Too few reports for a range | 16,500 mi | 1 (sparse) | ODI 10047386 · 16,500 miSUBJECT: 2002 KAWASAKI KLR650. NOVEMBER 2003, 16,500+ MILES: DAVIS SERVICE CENTER, MONTROSE, COLORADO, WAS ASKED TO REPLACE THE STOCK COUNTERBALANCER CHAIN TENSIONER LEVER WITH A STAINLESS STEEL UPGRADE FROM EAGLE MANUFACTURING & ENGINEERING. THIS WAS TO BE PREVENTIVE MAINTENANCE SINCE I'VE HEARD FROM THAT THIS IS A WEAK POINT. UPON INTERNAL INSPECTION, THE STOCK COUNTER BALANCED CHAIN TENSIONER LEVER WAS FOUND TO BE BROKEN. A BROKEN PIECE HAD GOTTEN INTO THE TRANSMISSION MAIN SHAFT BEARING AND DESTROYED THE RACE/BEARING-HOLDER. THE BEARINGS WE… |
Complaint and recall timeline
Explore monthly filing activity alongside recall announcements. Up to ten years of monthly history is available.
Solid line: filed complaints. Dashed amber lines: recall announcement dates for this vehicle selection; markers include all recall components. The latest month is partial. Temporal proximity does not establish causation.
Monthly counts, recall campaigns and complaint examples
| Month | Complaints | Campaigns announced | Examples |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-11 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2024-12 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2025-01 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2025-02 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2025-03 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2025-04 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2025-05 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2025-06 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2025-07 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2025-08 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2025-09 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2025-10 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2025-11 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2025-12 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2026-01 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2026-02 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2026-03 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2026-04 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2026-05 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2026-06 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2026-07 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2026-08 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2026-09 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2026-10 (partial) | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
Emerging complaint spikes
Complete months in the latest six months with at least 10 complaints, at least twice the preceding 12-month average, and at least three square-root deviations above that average.
This is a descriptive screening rule, not a statistical defect finding. Publicity and reporting changes can increase submissions.
No complete months meet the spike thresholds for this selection.
Equal-age model-year comparison
Model-wide cumulative reports during the first three or five calendar years, starting with the model year (age 0). Only fully elapsed windows are compared.
2022: 1 complaints · 2023: 16 complaints
| Model year | Through age 0 | Through age 1 | Through age 2 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| 2023 | 12 | 16 | 16 |
Date coverage across each selected cohort
| Year | Incident dates used | Filing date fallbacks | Excluded dates |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 2023 | 16 | 0 | 0 |
Incident date is preferred when valid and no later than filing; otherwise filing date is used. Model year approximates age. Equal observation time does not adjust for sales, distance driven or reporting delays. One complaint linked to multiple model years can appear in each cohort.
Components reported together
Each cell counts unique complaints naming both components. Open a nonzero cell for examples.
| Component | Engine And Engine Cooling | Engine And Engine Cooling:Cooling System | Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine | Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine:Gasoline | Power Train | Suspension | Tires | Visibility:Rearview Mirrors/Devices:Exterior |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Engine And Engine Cooling | — | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Engine And Engine Cooling:Cooling System | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine:Gasoline | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Power Train | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 1ODI 10258507I HAVE A 2002 KAWASAKI KLR 650 WITH 6053 MILES I AM TRYING TO SELL IT BUT NO ONE WANTS IT WITH OUT THE BALANCER UPGRADE AKA DOOHICKEY. I DID MINE TODAY AND FOUND THE SPRING BROKEN. THE TAIL END WAS MISSING. I KNOW ALOT OF PEOPLE HAVE BEEN AFFECTED BY THIS BAD PART INC. THE BALANCER ITSELF. I DON'T KNOW WHAT KIND OF DAMAGE THE BROKEN SPRING DID BUT THE BIKE STILL RUNS, AND WITH THE UPGRADE FROM EAGLE IT SOUND ALOT BETTER. I THINK KAWASAKI OWN ME SOME $$ FOR THE PARTS AND DAMAGE. I DOUBT IF I WILL EVER SEE ANY BUT WOULD LIKE TOO. HEIR COUL… | 0 | 0 |
| Suspension | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1ODI 10258507I HAVE A 2002 KAWASAKI KLR 650 WITH 6053 MILES I AM TRYING TO SELL IT BUT NO ONE WANTS IT WITH OUT THE BALANCER UPGRADE AKA DOOHICKEY. I DID MINE TODAY AND FOUND THE SPRING BROKEN. THE TAIL END WAS MISSING. I KNOW ALOT OF PEOPLE HAVE BEEN AFFECTED BY THIS BAD PART INC. THE BALANCER ITSELF. I DON'T KNOW WHAT KIND OF DAMAGE THE BROKEN SPRING DID BUT THE BIKE STILL RUNS, AND WITH THE UPGRADE FROM EAGLE IT SOUND ALOT BETTER. I THINK KAWASAKI OWN ME SOME $$ FOR THE PARTS AND DAMAGE. I DOUBT IF I WILL EVER SEE ANY BUT WOULD LIKE TOO. HEIR COUL… | — | 0 | 0 |
| Tires | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 0 |
| Visibility:Rearview Mirrors/Devices:Exterior | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
Co-reporting does not establish that one component caused another concern.
Recurring narrative patterns
Specific keyword mentions beyond broad component labels. Matching includes negations and comparisons and does not confirm a diagnosis.
0 patterns with matching reports.
No narratives match the published patterns.