IllustrationWHILE DOING PM ON THE 2005 KAWASAKI KLR650 I FOUND THAT THE TENSION IDLER ARM, KNOWN IN THE KLR COMMUNITY AS THE DOOHICKEY WAS AND HAS BEEN BROKEN. WHILE THE MOTORCYCLE STILL RAN MOST SERIOIULY FAILED. *AK
2005 Kawasaki KL650A19
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
Limited comparison data
There is not enough comparable history to draw a useful model-year comparison.
About this comparison →How this year compares
Owner complaints by model year
Other model years Selected year
Counts vary with age, sales and reporting. They are not failure rates.
What owners reported most
Tap a category to read its complaints. One report may name several components.
When problems were reported
Mileage at the reported incident
Limited mileage data: 8 of 10 reports include usable mileage. There isn’t enough coverage to show a useful chart.
NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.
What to inspect
Issues worth paying extra attention to based on owner reports.
- Engine And Engine Cooling. Review the 8 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Steering. Review the 3 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Structure. Review the 1 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
0 crash reports0 fire reports0 injury reports
Steering complaints
3 reportsI AM VERY UPSET WITH KAWASAKI'S KLR 650'S IDLER SHAFT ASSEMBLY EVERYONE I TALK TO HAS OR WILL HAVE TO REPLACE IT. THAT IS UNACCEPTABLE FROM A COMPANY AS BIG AS KAWASAKI. IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN RECALLED A LONG TIME AGO. I TOO, WILL BE SPENDING THE $200 TO FIX SOON. SOMETHING MUST BE DONE. THANK,YOU. I HOPE YOU WILL DO SOMETHING. *J…
Read full complaint
I AM VERY UPSET WITH KAWASAKI'S KLR 650'S IDLER SHAFT ASSEMBLY EVERYONE I TALK TO HAS OR WILL HAVE TO REPLACE IT. THAT IS UNACCEPTABLE FROM A COMPANY AS BIG AS KAWASAKI. IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN RECALLED A LONG TIME AGO. I TOO, WILL BE SPENDING THE $200 TO FIX SOON. SOMETHING MUST BE DONE. THANK,YOU. I HOPE YOU WILL DO SOMETHING. *JB
FAILURE OF THE IDLER SHAFT SPRING. *JB
Official recalls
0No recalls in this snapshot.
Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗
NHTSA investigations
0No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.