an open letter to kawasaki riders and kawasaki canada:
Posted: Fri Jul 08, 2005 9:50 pm
I ve owned three KLR 650s, a 2000, a 2002, and a 2004, and have about 15,000 miles on them, including one memorable eight week trip to the tip of Baja. Until recently, the Kawasaki KLR 650 was absolutely, positively, undeniably my favourite Dual Sport motorcycle. And I told everyone who would listen that this was so. In great detail.
However, after my most recent experience with Kawasaki Canada and with a dishonest and incompetent local Kawasaki authorised dealer, I will soon be switching brands. I will never again buy any Kawasaki motorcycle, no matter how good it is. Because, no matter how great your motorcycle might be, without competent and honest local dealers to support you, you are shafted. And in my experience, Kawasaki Canada allows dishonest and incompetent dealers to exist and to continue existing.
This is my story there is more too it, but here are the basics. You decide if riding a Kawasaki is worth the hassle. I ve decides to do what many other local Kawasaki riders have already done - switch brands, and go to some other dealership, where servicing means something other than what the prize bull does to the unsuspecting cows.
At 4000 miles the engine in my 2004 Kawasaki KLR 650 dropped a valve, and was almost completely rebuilt by the local Kawasaki dealer under original manufacturer's warranty. 600 miles later, after breaking it in as carefully as I could, I brought the KLR in for servicing and inspection. This servicing supposedly included an oil and filter change. 900 miles after this servicing, with three months still left on the original one year warranty, the piston seized. On checking the oil level, it was found that the engine was completely out of oil with no leaks and no blue smoke.
I was told to bring my KLR in to the local Kawasaki dealer for warranty inspection . Without my written or expressed permission, the dealer disassembled my KLR engine, then gave me some pretty incredible excuses as to why warranty would be refused.
The first story was that bike had run out of oil because I had mounted a Supertrapp exhaust system, which caused the engine to run rich, which caused the engine to burn up all the oil . I denied that this explanation was physically possible, by showing them that the exhaust system was totally dry of any oil residue.
They then switched stories and tried to tell me the engine was running rich, which caused it to run hot, which damaged the piston I denied that story as well as we all know, if an engine is running rich, it will run COOL, not hot.
At this point I suggested two much simpler theories that the KLR had left their servicing without sufficient oil, or that it had been rebuilt incorrectly. Since I know positively that other motorcycles have left this shop with insufficient oil after so-called servicing , I was fairly certain that lack of oil was the most likely cause of failure.
The dealer adamantly refused any responsibility, either for a bad rebuild, or for incompetent servicing. I then called Kawasaki Canada who said they would check into this. Kawasaki Canada s customer service representative then called me back to tell me that there would be no warranty because the KLR owner s manual clearly states that the rider should check the oil before every ride " something which I admitted I had not done.
BUT, why should I be held totally responsible for checking the oil consumption or oil level after the bike was just rebuilt and serviced by a Kawasaki authorised dealer? Realistically, have you checked your oil level in the last 900 miles? Do you consider this a valid reason to refuse a warranty? Do you consider 1500 miles after a rebuild a legitimate life span? Or 2 litres of oil in 900 miles as legitimate oil consumption? When I took my 2000 KLR to Baja, riding HARD in the hot HOT weather, it used about 1/2 liter in 3,000 miles. Why shouldn't I expect my 2004 to do the same?
In researching this incident for further legal action, I went to several other motorcycle shops, and showed the service managers/technicians the damaged piston and the dry exhaust system. Every shop I visited denied the possibility of oil burning being the cause of the seizure. The most experienced Kawasaki trained technicians pointed out the piston showed distinctive signs of four corner seizure , which is most commonly found with a piston that is too tight in the bore. I have several signed statements from these shops to support these facts.
While visiting these other shops, I was also told some incredible stories of dishonest and incompetent behaviour on the part of this particular Kawasaki dealer. It seems this dealer has a well known local reputation for refusing valid warranty claims, billing the customer, then double billing the manufacturer as well. This, and other dishonest and incompetent practices, has previously lost them two other motorcycle lines.
So, why does Kawasaki Canada allow this dealer to still represent their product?? Should we conclude that Kawasaki Canada is not interested in protecting Kawasaki customers from dishonest and incompetent dealers?
Why don t you contact Kawasaki Canada and ask them about this yourself?
If you want to comment, feel free to contact me @
SGShaftedme@...
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