2023 Kawasaki KLR650 Steering Problems

“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 about 50 miles and then came back even worse. Now the steering is so bad it is barley rideable.”

“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 my ankle trying to save it one time. This needs to be a recalled from forums the it is clear this is a consitant problem with the 2023 klr 650 s”

“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 450 miles. I noticed the issue after my first ride on the bike. It is dangerous that it keeps the steering straight. Too heavy when making a turn.”

“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. The Kawasaki dealer says that they have not been informed of any steering issues. This bike will kill me unless this issue is resolved. I will be taking it back to the dealer for service.”

“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 motorcycle brands and I HAVE NEVER SEEN ANYTHING LIKE THIS. As a former motorcycle mechanic this problem cannot be corrected because all front steering components are fixe bolted connections with no adjustments.”