2023 KAWASAKI KLR650 Steering Problems

This is a new Kawasaki KLR 650 motorcycle with 220 miles now on it and there is a steering issue at low speeds from 5 to 15 mph. It feels like the steering is catching and you have to fight the handlebars to get the motorcycle to turn. This is dangerous when starting off or at low speeds in traffic. After checking for recalls there are none but as I researched this problem I have found that most or all 2023 models are having this same problem if the VIN# starts with the letters ML. This means assembled in Thailand. Apparently the factory used incorrect torque settings when tightening the steering stem bolt or preload on steering stem bearing. I will be taking to dealer to have this dangerous issue checked.

When making a slow speed turn that requires a little extra handlebar input the bike seems to act like the steering head is stuck, gets briefly stuck in a "notch" and then releases making it very hard to be smooth in a slow speed trun which can be very dangerous depending on traffic/road way situation. Have read of several other new owners experiencing the same thing. This has been happening since the bike had a 100 or so miles on it.

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.

Steering bearing overtorqued by factory, dealer warranty loostened and readjusted, initial tendency, failure to return to neutral, rough bearing feeling, caused many near misses with vehicles ahead, problem unresolved, I can feel it, dealer can not. Contra Costa Powersports, 1150 Concord Ave Ste 100, Concord, CA 94520 (925) 687-7742. Issue regarding drive train, false neutral. Potentially hazardous conditions occurred three times. Pulled over to adjust GPS, engine running, shifted to neutral, neutral light illuminated on dash, put the side stand down,, released the clutch bike still in gear, bike lunged forward, off of sidestand, bike headed for ground with rider, lucky first two times I had my hand on the front brake, lock up brake preventing bike from launching off the side stand and crashing to ground. First time with stock clutch and brake levers set up by dealer with 1/16 clutch free play, third time with Warp9 aftermarket adjustable brake and clutch levers, was in same 1/16" free play when set up, cable seated during 100 mile ride, gap then 1/4", third false neutral, dash displayed green neutral indication light, side stand down, released clutch, bike still in gear, this time hand not on brake lever, didn't anticipate bike movement, the bike launched forward off the sidestand, tried to eject me into the roadway. Could have been lethal consequences had I not recovered the bike before it dropped to the roadway, I just managed to get it back up and out of the roadway before cars came around the blind mountain turn. The Clutch lever being slightly out of adjustment had no impact on shifting gears, and didn't miss one gear change. Stock clutch lever or Warp9 aftermarket, clutch freeplay 1/16 to 1/4 made no difference. I can not replicate the hazard, it occurred randomly. Technically, weather the neutral light illuminates on the dash or not, in gear, deploying the side stand should kill the bike. Dealer can not duplicate what to we do now?

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.

The contact owns a 2023 Kawasaki KLR650. The contact stated while driving approximately 20-25 MPH and attempting to make a left or right turn, the motorcycle seemed to make a sharp turn. The contact stated that the front-end seemed to be uneven with the rear-end of the motorcycle. The motorcycle had not been taken to the dealer to diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 99.

Mileage: 99

Low speed steering acts as though the steering head bearings are grabbing then releasing making it impossible to execute a smooth turn. Sometimes when this happens it results in an abrupt turn-in almost causing a low-side situation. I will be taking this KLR-650 Adventure back to the dealership within the next week for them to try and correct the situation.

The contact owns a 2023 Kawasaki KLR650 Motorcycle. The contact stated that while riding at an undisclosed speed, he became aware that the handlebar was wobbly and unstable. No warning lights were illuminated. The motorcycle was not taken to the dealer or an independent mechanic to be diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but provided no assistance. The failure mileage was 10.

Mileage: 10

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 steering nut is torqued to tight and it makes the handle bars stick and not rotate smoothly

Steering very unstable at slow speeds and seems to catch and make turning dangerous and difficult. This is a known problem with this model and Kawasaki has admitted that the steering nut was overtorqued and the bearings were installed improperly but dealers say there’s nothing wrong.

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 nut for the handlebars of the motorcycle seem to have been overtightened. This causes a noticeable catch in the steering at low speeds, especially when making a turn from a stop. This causes unsafe handling characteristics in the motorcycle as it makes the operator oversteer in slow speed situations. Kawasaki has claimed that they do not know about this problem, although there have been many reports from consumers and service centers. While I personally have not taken the vehicle to a service center yet (I am scheduled to do this on 09/01/2023), several other 2023 KLR650 owners with this problem have and the dealerships were told exactly how to fix the problem by Kawasaki. Reportedly, the steering nut was over torqued in the 2023 manufactured bikes (not all) and some of them have had their bearings crushed due to this error. There are also reports that the bearings were not greased. The symptoms were present when I bought the vehicle, but I thought that it was due to new tires. My motorcycle has less than 600 miles on it.

Unknown Multiple people reported to have issue with stiff steering during low speed including my motorcycle because of defective steering head bearings. Critical safety issues. No recall have been done .

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.

Motorcycle with ML serial numbers have been overtorqued steering bearing nuts from factory, multiple problems showing up. Steering on mine locked up in a turn, but was able to force it to straighten out. Kawasaki is aware they overtorqued (via multiple sources) but has not released a tech bulletin, or service recall on a dangerous situation. Slow speeds steering will have a tight bind at the 12" position, and will have a hard time turning left or right out of the tight spot. Occasionally, turning back into the 12 position will cause a bind/catch causing loss of low speed control.