2008 KLR650 lemon, full refund

[Digitdion]

Just wanted to share my experience with everyone. A experience thankfully with a happy ending but so much frustration in between (to say the least).

I will try to keep it short and sweet. I purchased a brand new KLR650 last september from Motosouth in Invercargill. After 4000km's the bike was certainly using unacceptable amounts of oil. I let the dealer know. he said to keep an eye on it. A day after a service it broke down in the catlins with an electrical problem. I left the bike with the dealer he said he would get it sorted. Oil And electrical issues that is. I live in Queenstown by the way.

Nine weeks later, and alot of frustration and not alot of communication from Motosouth I finally got my bike back. Electrical issues sorted (say they say) and a new set of rings( Rings not bedded in properly for some reason).

Rode the bike home all good ......So far!

Three weeks later up the west coast. 370 km's and half a litre of oil used. An email to Kawasaki NZ and Motosouth. Not to happy. It gets worse. On way home the bike stops dead 40km's south of Franz Josef. A reoccurance of the electrical issue. By now I am really starting to pull my hair out. Thats being kind by the way! Lots of phone calls to the dealer!

This was the last straw. Did alot of homework about my rights and decided the best thing to do was to officially reject the bike under the Consumer guarantees act. So thats what I did!

Alot of emails between me and Motosouth and Kawasaki NZ.Kawasaki NZ can talk the talk but ultimately they remind me of Winston Peters. Are you going to vote for Winston?

The Hearing at the Motor vehicles dusputes tribunal was a big new learning experience for me. I Basically had ten grand riding on it. To often the little guy gets done over. I knew I had a good case but was still very nervous.

So here is what happened. The disputes tribunal awarded me A full refund of the purchase price plus some expenses. They found that The bike had Two Faults with it from Manufacture. One the wiring loom was routed through bike in an incorrect manor which caused electrical issues. A friday afternoon bike perhaps.They found that a reasonable mechanic would have found the problem.Two, that the Bike had an issue regarding the rings from manufacture. The rings were not working properly as they were designed. This was backed up by evidence provided by Kawasaki NZ with emails from them to Kawasaki Japan as to why Part numbers had changed. This is in regard to the third set of rings being put into a bike that had done less than 8000KM's.

Kawasaki's Japan's reply was they had been changed to help to reduce Oil consumption. they had been redesigned because they were abit loose. In essence they were admitting in a PC manor that the rings were not working as good as they should.

On top of all of this, with alot of talk between myself and Kawasaki NZ we worked out that Motosouth had been putting the wrong oil in the bike since new. Fully sinthetic oil not mineral oil.

All in all an experience that I hope no one has to go through. A bike that was a lemon and a dealer that........................... (the less I say the better).

I do want to add that the KLR650 for what it is is a great bike. A great value for money bike that you can have alot of fun with. As long as it works. When you buy a brand new bike you expect a bike that performs like a new bike should. My one did not!

Now that the dealer has in effect had to buy the bike back from me he is now selling it. Has he learnt his lesson in customer service........ I doubt it but you be the judge. Would you buy a bike that has this kind of history? Will the dealer tell the prospective buyer its history? Its on the web described as a very tidy low KM bike.

That is exactly what it is. He does not mention any of its history though! Beware!

I take delivery of a KTM 990 Adventure on the weekend. My Dream bike. I have learnt my lesson.Worth alot more than my previous bike. But I no longer feel like ever riding a Kawasaki again. Motosouth is a KTM dealer but you bet I did not buy the Bike of them! And I will not let them touch my new bike with a barge poll!

Bring on a Glorious summer so we can all ride to our hearts content! Here's to care free motoring.Bring it on!

Cheers Digitdion!

[awayatc]

Well done......Perseverence paid off.
KTM 990.......awesome,
Enjoy your summer, you earned it.

:scooter:

[Digitdion]

Thanks Mate. Really looking forward to getting back out there after winter and riding the trails. Doing a few missions. Hopefully get bit of a crew together from Around The larger Queentown area for some rides this summer.

Cheers Digitdion!

[martybabe]

I love a happy ending, well done you for sticking at it where lesser mortals would have crumbled and a good lesson to us all that sometimes the little guy can win.

Good luck with the KTM. :niceone:

[merv]

Were these KLRs made in Zimbabwe or somewhere else flash or something? Don't live up to usual Japanese quality.

[Digitdion]

Made in Thailand there Merv.

Cheers Digitdion!

[pete376403]

That's really interesting stuff. My own KLR had a small electrical fault early in the piece (left side indicators not working) which Motorad repaired - wire wa chafed under the tank.
In the course of my own maintenance I found the loom to be routed between the tank and the bracket that holds the radiator expansion bottle and it looked to me like that was going to cause issues fairly soon, so I fixed that. No further electric problems at all.
With regard to the oil consumption, last weekends ride up around Taranak used 1.5 litres in a little over 1600km. I know another KBer, MarkS, has oil issues with his KLR.
With the findings of your claim, we should both be able to go back to kawasaki NZ and get this rectified. Thanks for laying the groundwork.

I agree with you that the KLR is a great bike, even with faults.
On last weeks ride, in the company of a BMW Dakar, A DR 650 and a 950KTM, I never felt my KLR was any less of a bike that the others (OK the KTM was a little quicker in places...)

[Digitdion]

Hay Pete,
That is way too much oil use of course. looks like you have a new bike so will still be under warranty. Do all your correspondence via email. WAs so valuable for me. Very easy to print off if needed in future.

If no joy with your dealer go direct to kawasaki NZ. Get it sorted while you can.Hopefully all will be sorted. My KLR650 did get the nearly designed rings in the end. Never got a chance to actually see if the problem was sorted as I rejected the bike.

Find out what rings are in your bike, if the so called first design for the 2008 KLr650 are in it get them to put in the newly redesigned one.

Good Luck
Cheers Digitdion!

[Quasievil]

Mines been sweet 16,000kms, be sad to see her go tomorrow, would I buy another one,mmmm probably not might be a GS800 if they come down a bit in price that is

[Digitdion]

Hay Quasi,
You will be back in the adventure bike fold no doubt in the near future. Adventure bikes are the ducks nuts.Paticularly in a great place like NZ.The KLR is a whole lotta bike for under 10 G. If its working that is. I am now going the other way. Spending way more than what the KLR cost. Got a KTM 990 Adventure. I know the pro's and cons of the bike. More money all round but I made the fatal mistake and took one for a test ride. What a mistake that was. the best mistake i have made in ages!

Cheers Digitdion!

[T.W.R]

Interesting you mention so many hassles with the particular dealer & Lyntech.

In a similar type of circumstances with a bike we sold a customer (brand new KLX140), within one day of the owner taking possession the bike started making noises from the engine, he duly brought it back & we contacted Lyntech and within 3days had a replacement bike for the guy.
We've opened up the engine and found that one of the main bearings was poked (factory fault, damaged item from supplier obviously).

The 140 along with a lot of other models are made in Thailand, and the standard of quality control is usually pretty good. Though in saying that we had a Mechanic temporarily working for us who had been by all accounts on the QC line at the factory in Thailand :slap: interesting character but couldn't rebuild a carb or do many of the fundamental jobs within the workshop :no: Seems the majority a trained like robots to do just one job & have no idea about any of the other elements of the production line. He's now back in Thailand doing god knows what as once a position is terminated there there isn't any going back and there's a waiting line for positions at the factory.

The comment about the wrong oil from the start with the KLR is a bit suspect though as all the bikes come pre filled from the factory and it isn't until the 1st service that it's changed, then it's up to the owner's choice of what they want run in the bike or if they prefer to go with what the shop prescribes. So bearing that in mind it falls back to the dealership and what ever they did to the bike once it came out of the crate, usually assembly, run, PD, & either on to the shop floor or into the possession of the new owner.

[Digitdion]

Thats interesting T.W.R. In regard to the type of oil used in the bike. When I bought the bike i did not Buy any spare oil as I assumed it would not use much and first service is pretty early on in km's of course.

After first service I asked mechanic what oil I should buy as i wanted to have some in reserve just in case. I live in Queenstown and the dealer was in Invervegas. He said no worries this is the stuff. It was motorex synthetic. So thats What I got.

The same synthetic oil got put in it on its second serice by the same dealership Motosouth in Invercargill. At the time I had no idea what they were doing. I had to get the bike serviced by an authorised Kawa dealer.You think they would get it right. Little did i know I was unknowingly paying them to screw things up.

Cheers Digitdion!

[Quasievil]

Hay Quasi,
You will be back in the adventure bike fold no doubt in the near future. Adventure bikes are the ducks nuts.Paticularly in a great place like NZ.The KLR is a whole lotta bike for under 10 G. If its working that is. I am now going the other way. Spending way more than what the KLR cost. Got a KTM 990 Adventure. I know the pro's and cons of the bike. More money all round but I made the fatal mistake and took one for a test ride. What a mistake that was. the best mistake i have made in ages!

Cheers Digitdion!

Yeah I would like to make that mistake also, a KTM990 will be on my list of bikes to check out for sure

[marty]

this >> http://www.stuff.co.nz/stuff/waikatotimes/4686597a6004.html is what can happen if the history is not disclosed.....maybe you should e-mail them this link

[Digitdion]

this >> http://www.stuff.co.nz/stuff/waikatotimes/4686597a6004.html is what can happen if the history is not disclosed.....maybe you should e-mail them this link

Yeah, thats a good one ah Marty. I do not have to much Faith in the dealer Motosouth. He made it fairly clear that he would sell the bike. My experience with them they will have no intention of letting the buyer know. But who knows? The dealer was adamant that the bike is now as good as new. He told me that a few times I must say. It still managed to break down.

If anyone wants a bike with low km's KLR650, been looked after but has a fairly negative history offer the dealer a very very low offer. You may get a great deal. Then again it could all blow up in your face(excuse the pun!).

Cheers Digitdion!

[KiwiRat]

this >> http://www.stuff.co.nz/stuff/waikatotimes/4686597a6004.html is what can happen if the history is not disclosed.....maybe you should e-mail them this link

A work colleague has successfully prised a brand replacement car out of
Ford NZ after several issues with his new BF GT Falcon. Electrical gremlins, one cylinder bank being down in oil pressure, etc.

Once you have a certain level of problems with a new vehicle, and those issues re-occur, you lose confidence in that vehicle. Ford were willing to do repairs, change engine, etc, but then the car is not numbers matching blah, blah, lah.

He did have to get a bit bolshy and threaten High Court action, as the car was valued around the $90,000 mark.

So well done to the OP for sticking up for himself.

[Forest]

Mines been sweet 16,000kms, be sad to see her go tomorrow, would I buy another one,mmmm probably not might be a GS800 if they come down a bit in price that is

The NZD is dropping heavily at the moment. So I don't expect there's much chance that the GS800 will come down in price.

[pete376403]

If I can get the replacement ring set fitted under warranty then I'll be happy with that. I can appreciate that sometimes they get it wrong, and like Alan Martin said, "It's the putting right that counts".
What pisses me is when a dealer/importer/factory will consistently deny that there is anything wrong despite overwhelming evidence to the contrary, and only when forced to by a court of law or some other body will grudgingly admit that there "could possibly be something wrong".

I'm hopefull that Lyntech will come to the party on this, especially now that a precedent has been established.

And I still like the KLR.

The alternative will be a big bore kit which I recall MarkS said was around $US384

[Quasievil]

Its gone SOB SOB. heading to Nelson, keep a look out for a Red KLR with QUASiMOTO stickers all over it, the new owner is a top bloke who would be keen to ride with others

[merv]

Yeah well I hadn't heard of it so hadn't bothered to research it I suppose about the KLR oil issue, but it hit home to me on the ride that weekend before last when on one occasion I came up behind marks and rode behind him for a while as we headed down Admirals Rd. I commented to him when we stopped about how every time he had backed off and then put the throttle on again his KLR smoked badly for roughly 4 to 5 seconds. That to me was a huge surprise to see a newish Japanese (designed) bike doing that.

How did Kawasaki manage to create this problem? We've never had any inclination to own the green brand so have never experienced anything like this, not even from the parts bin special Suzukis.

[pete376403]

The '08 got a redesigned piston - probably the first change to that part since they went to a 650 (KLR was originally 600). Someone fucked up.

I recall back in the 70s (80s?) when the Datsun 180B came out and there was some oil crisis going on. The engines had low tension piston rings to reduce internal friction. They smoked like coal burners as well. I guess it is the nature of development - sometimes they get it right, other times not.

[Kevnz]

i have a DR 650 that is due for its first service in a couple of weeks.(1000 kms) Any advise on what oil to ask the dealer to put in would be great. I commute every day in all weather and go for longer rides on weekends. Not using any oil at present like the KLR and glad you got a good result

[merv]

Since first oil changes with Mrs merv's DR and all our other bikes for that matter I use Castrol GPS semi synthetic - good mid-range price - never seem to have to top up between changes so I'm happy with it.

[Kevnz]

Thanks Merv, will give that a try. I have always used Castrol oil in the car and never had a problem so will stick with the brand.

[merv]

Probably if you search there are zillions of threads about oil preferences and everyone has their pet brand so you just gotta make a pick and go with it. Castrol bike oils you can usually buy at Repco or Supercheap which I find as handy as any as they are clsoer to my house than the bike shops.

Anyway what is the story with the KLR, is it that the rings really are a problem so no amount of decent running in would have helped this?

[Quasievil]

i have a DR 650 that is due for its first service in a couple of weeks.(1000 kms) Any advise on what oil to ask the dealer to put in would be great. I commute every day in all weather and go for longer rides on weekends. Not using any oil at present like the KLR and glad you got a good result

Simple, use MOBIL the best oil in the world made by the leader in synthetic oil technology you want MOBIL 1 4T fully synthetic or MOBIL Extra 4T semi synthetic. (real synthetics)

Castrol is the leader in synthetic deception

[pete376403]

Uh-oh, this is turning into an OIL thread. Wars between countries start from these.
FWIW, at the bikes first service, Motorad refilled it with Shell Advance SX4 15w-50 semi-synthetic. The next oil and filter changes (by me at about 3000 k intervals have been with Caltex Havolene 15w-50. In between it's been topped up with whatever brand was being sold by the gas station I was stopped at.

Also, the owners handbook does not specify mineral or synthetic. Under "Recommended Engine Oil" - type API SE, SF or SG. API SH, SJ or SL with JASO MA. Viscosity SAE 10W-40, with allowances for ranges between 10W-30 to 20W-50 depending on temperature.

[puddy]

With regard to the oil consumption, last weekends ride up around Taranak used 1.5 litres in a little over 1600km. I know another KBer, MarkS, has oil issues with his KLR.

Holy FUCK! You (and MarkS)are fucking SAINTS! Apart from servicing, I haven't put 1.5 litres of oil in all of the bikes I've ever owned. That's 20 years of riding. So, if I bought a new one I'd be pulling my hair out, and I don't have fuck all left!

[gammaguy]

i had a similar exprience in 1982 with a ducati 600.bought it brand new and had a lot of problems with it.long story short-traded it back in on a Yamaha -i think the dealer was kinda sheepish about it all but could hardly refuse as the option was legal action as i politely :angry2:suggested.

one rule i learned is to inform the dealer of EVERY problem as it happens,they got sick of the sound of my voice but couldnt deny there was a problem.

also never run in any engine on synthetic oil,sounds like the rings on the KLR are suspect though,so it may not have made any difference.

i own a Yamaha 125 made in Thailand,it runs superbly,i bought it from new,and have had absolutely no trouble with it,i even toured the lower north island on the little rocket last week,so the Thais can make them properly if they want to.:innocent:

having said all that,enjoy that KTM!

[pete376403]

I've got a copy of the e-mails between Lyntech and Kawasaki Japan. Lyntech asking why the part number have been changed, Japan stating it's to "improve oil consumption". Also top ring gap has been enlarged 0.05 mm, oil ring rails have been thickened 0.05mm and oil ring total width has been reduced 0.15mm. From that I'm thinking that there have been problems with the rings sticking in the grooves, perhaps.
Anyway this is pretty much an admission that there are oil issues with these engine so off to Motorad now to see wat they have to say about it.

[mazz1972]

There have been a few threads about the 08's oil consumption at the KLRworld forums...

http://klrworld.com/forums/index.php/topic,6591.0.html
http://klrworld.com/forums/index.php/topic,6718.0.html

The first thread has a link to a mod, but not sure if that is for the 08 model or earlier.