Kawasaki KL650A14: problems, complaints, bulletins

Summary for the Kawasaki KL650A14 across 1 model years: 2 owner complaints and 0 NHTSA service bulletins, plus repair videos. Pick a year for details.

Model years

Year	Owner complaints	involving a crash	Technical service bulletins (TSB)	YouTube repair videos
2000	2	0	0	0

What fails most often

1 Engine 50% of all complaints
2 Engine and cooling 50% of all complaints

Circle size and colour show each component’s share of NHTSA complaints. Schematic only, not a drawing of the exact model.

Engine: 1 complaints (50% of all).
Engine and cooling: 1 complaints (50% of all).

Symptoms owners describe

How many of the 2 NHTSA complaints mention each symptom (automatic count from complaint text; one complaint can mention several).

infotainment or screen glitches1 · 50%
engine failure or replacement1 · 50%

Components owners complain about

Component	Owner complaints	involving a crash	Technical service bulletins (TSB)
Engine	1	0	0
Engine and cooling	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.

It is also possible for the broken pieces to find their way into the oil pump (assuming the protective screen is missing) and cause engine failure at speed.
Engine · 2000 · 2017-08-14 · NHTSA complaint #11015272
My 2000 kawasaki klr650 has an issue with the counter balancer adjustment system that has been documented many times by other owners. In 2002 I opened the side case up and the balancer adjustment spring was broken. The spring was broken. I replaced the spring and also the lever with an aftermarket parts.
Engine and cooling · 2000 · 2007-03-15 · NHTSA complaint #10185131

When owners complained

NHTSA complaints by filing year. The peak shows at what age the problems show up most.

20071
20171

What to check before buying

Engine. Cold start, unusual noises, oil leaks and engine codes.
Engine and cooling. Radiator and fan after a frontal hit, coolant level and condition, overheating.

Other models of this make

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 2026-11-06.