2009 Kawasaki KLR650 Engine Problems
- Complaints
- 3about this part
- Share
- 50%of 6 total for the year
- Median mileage
- 5,500miles
- Trend
- Not enough dataFewer than 15 complaints, too few for a reliable trend.
NHTSA recorded 3 complaints about the engine of the 2009 Kawasaki KLR650, 50% of the 6 complaints for this model year. Where a mileage was given, the median is 5,500 miles.
Fewer than 15 complaints name this part, so treat the figures as a rough indication only.
Example complaints
Selected from NHTSA records; personal details are removed. They are consumer reports, not findings.
“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. …”
NHTSA complaint #10628440, filed 2014-08, 5,500 miles“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.”
NHTSA complaint #10667231, filed 2014-12, 3,000 milesEngine: other model years
Other parts of the 2009 Kawasaki KLR650
← All problems reported for the 2009 Kawasaki KLR650
About this data. Data from NHTSA (ODI) complaints, recalls, TSBs and investigations, updated Oct 30, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate.
To check a specific vehicle for open recalls, use its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls. Methodology