AI Damage2006 Kawasaki KL650A: common problems
Owners of the 2006 Kawasaki KL650A filed 3 complaints with NHTSA, most often about engine and cooling and powertrain. Details by component below, with sources.
Key figures
- Owner complaints
- 3
What fails most often
- 1 Engine and cooling 33% of all complaints
- 2 Powertrain 33% of all complaints
- 3 Suspension 33% of all complaints
- Engine and cooling: 1 complaints (33% of all).
- Powertrain: 1 complaints (33% of all).
- Suspension: 1 complaints (33% of all).
Components owners complain about
| Component | Owner complaints | involving a crash | Technical service bulletins (TSB) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Engine and cooling | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Powertrain | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Suspension | 1 | 0 | 0 |
What owners report
Short excerpts of NHTSA complaints in the original wording. These are owner statements not verified by NHTSA; personal data removed.
The failure was caught in time before catastrophic engine failure could take place. I purchased a balancer lever upgrade kit from eagle manufacturing of california. The cost of this kit was approximately $140.00. I also purchased a motorcycle jack to accomplish the repair.
Preload adjuster broke on 2006 klr 650 second time I attempted to adjust it with less that 10k miles on it.
2006 klr 650 kawasaki motorcycle broken balancer chain lever even though adjusted regularly by kawasaki dealer. Metal fragments in the engine causing potential damage. Incurred significant repair costs to replace the defective part and repair with after market replacement as the kawasaki part is defective.
When owners complained
NHTSA complaints by filing year. The peak shows at what age the problems show up most.
Comparison
By complaint count this model year ranks 17,150 of 36,656 model years in the NHTSA data (top 47% most complained about).
On average one model year of the KL650A has 2 complaints (4 years in the data). This year has 3, above average.
What to check before buying
- Engine and cooling. Radiator and fan after a frontal hit, coolant level and condition, overheating.
- Powertrain. Shift quality under load, harsh shifts, transmission codes, CV joints.
- Suspension. Wheel alignment, control arms, subframe, even tire wear.
Other years of this model
Questions and answers
What are the most common problems with the 2006 Kawasaki KL650A?
Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: engine and cooling, powertrain, suspension. Total complaints: 3. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: engine failure or replacement (33%).
How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 2006 Kawasaki KL650A?
NHTSA lists 0 manufacturer service bulletins for this year. A bulletin tells dealers how to diagnose or fix a known issue; it is not a recall.
Should I buy a 2006 Kawasaki KL650A from a US auction?
Owner complaints describe defects, not crash damage. Before bidding, check the components listed above and review the lot photos: VinWind builds a report of visible and hidden damage by VIN.
Other 2006 models
Read also
Sources: public NHTSA data (USA): service bulletins and owner complaints; YouTube: links to videos credited to their authors. Complaints are owner statements not verified by NHTSA, and describe defects rather than crash damage. Data updated 2026-11-05.