I have posted this here (and not the kawasaki forum) to get as wide a feedback as possible. I have also posted it to Thumpertalk. I am really interested to find out if my problems are inherit faults or if I'm been the victim of a comedy of errors.
I have had an ongoing reliability problem with my KLX650R. I would like to run the following past you all. I would like to know if I’m just the unluckiest KLXR owner of all time or are these bikes/engines just an unreliable ‘dog’?
The KLXR is an ’98 model. In this time it has completed a magnificent 5,000 miles. It has been out of service 6 times in that time/distance. Thrice for excessive oil consumption (new pistons and rings each time) and thrice for defective Auto Decomp (new cams each time). And now it has seized something (I haven’t taken apart the engine yet) in the cam chain assemble (probably the idle wheel) during a test ride (by a Kawasaki mechanic) after a replacement cam was put in. Some of the work has been under warranty and all the work has been done by Kawasaki dealers.
I’m asking the question because I don’t know if I should persevere with this ‘dog’. A guess would be I’m up for two new valves, an idle wheel assm, and all cam chains (the cam chains have jumped and striped the idle wheel – both or just one I don’t know but I assume the worst). If I was to do anything with this motor I would be pulling it right apart including the bottom end. I don’t suspect the bottom end but I would be checking and thoroughly cleaning. If the broader experience is that these things are unreliable ‘dogs’ I’ll give up and part it out for what I can get.
So guys, what your experience? Give it to me both barrels. I don’t care if you relate your personal experience or some else’s (but lets keep it reasonable). Be as specific as you can please.
Thanking you in anticipation,
Cheers, OldnDirty.
I have had an ongoing reliability problem with my KLX650R. I would like to run the following past you all. I would like to know if I’m just the unluckiest KLXR owner of all time or are these bikes/engines just an unreliable ‘dog’?
The KLXR is an ’98 model. In this time it has completed a magnificent 5,000 miles. It has been out of service 6 times in that time/distance. Thrice for excessive oil consumption (new pistons and rings each time) and thrice for defective Auto Decomp (new cams each time). And now it has seized something (I haven’t taken apart the engine yet) in the cam chain assemble (probably the idle wheel) during a test ride (by a Kawasaki mechanic) after a replacement cam was put in. Some of the work has been under warranty and all the work has been done by Kawasaki dealers.
I’m asking the question because I don’t know if I should persevere with this ‘dog’. A guess would be I’m up for two new valves, an idle wheel assm, and all cam chains (the cam chains have jumped and striped the idle wheel – both or just one I don’t know but I assume the worst). If I was to do anything with this motor I would be pulling it right apart including the bottom end. I don’t suspect the bottom end but I would be checking and thoroughly cleaning. If the broader experience is that these things are unreliable ‘dogs’ I’ll give up and part it out for what I can get.
So guys, what your experience? Give it to me both barrels. I don’t care if you relate your personal experience or some else’s (but lets keep it reasonable). Be as specific as you can please.
Thanking you in anticipation,
Cheers, OldnDirty.