Same damn thing happened to me...My throttle got stuck when climbing a hill and I could not control the speed of the thing...I then hit a vine while trying my hardest to brake and the thing rolled over on me and then down a 120 ft hill...The front and rear racks/plastics are busted, the handlebars are bent, and two wheels got pretty bent up also. Needless to say, I called Kawasaki to tell them that I have a bike with a safety related problem. They said that they would look into it and have the dealer check the throttle cable. The dealer said that the throttle cable is working fine and that the accident was caused by rider error. Kawasaki calls me back and tells me that the bike is fine...I tell them "it was fine after it almost killed me too. (I was able to limp it home without the throttle sticking again) It has been an intermittent problem...What am I supposed to do ride it until it happens again and then kills me?" The Kawasaki representative, a hostile guy to begin with, says "well nothing is wrong with the bike according to our service rep and there is nothing further we can do for you at this time." I ask to speak to his supervisor and was then informed that she is away on vacation and wont be available for me to speak with anyway. I ask for a statement in writting stating that nothing is wrong with the bike and he refuses to issue one. I then ask how am I supposed to get one? He tells me "Go get an attorney and then maybe you'll get a statement." Talk about crappy customer service...I hope that this doesnt become a widespread issue and that people don't get hurt or killed because Kawasaki relies on "field tech" representatives to determine if there are technical faults or defects in their products. So, now what should I do? I keep reading about the throttle sticking on these bikes and people getting injured as a result...I obviously dont want to get hurt but I do want to enjoy my quad. Anyone have decent advice for resolving this issue? I also dont want to pay upwards of $1000 to fix a bike with 5 hours on it. I find it absurd to have an intermittent safety related problem and then have an accident blamed on user error...Can anyone say class action lawsuit if this becomes a widespread issue??????? If anyone from Kawasaki is reading, I want some answers and some results. As an owner of 3 Kawasaki products (2 Ultra 150 Jetskis and this Prarie 650) you would expect at least some level of customer service. Sorry for venting but it needed to be done...good luck with your bikes boys and be careful as this thing can and probably will become dangerous at any moment in a few isolated incidences...If anyone has some parts they want to sell, I obviously am going to need them since it seems Kawasaki probably wont do anything for me.

Regards,
Andrew

 

I'm sorry to hear that. If you talked to the tech guy, and there is ONLY one, his supervisor is named Mary Sola. Her extension # is 2570. Anyway, they are very reluctant to put you through to her, but if you get her, try the direct method. You'll have to repeat yourself 10 times before she even acknowledges you, but after that you may get somewhere. If kawi was smart they would have your quad sent to them and they would give you a new one. This is what smart companies do so that they don't lose a big law suit because they failed to identify and address a problem. Personally I think they are stupid not to address a throttle issue. 600 pounds with this much power under it is a class action law suit waiting to happen. Some companies just don't get it though. Some companies don't realize how many sales they lose from reports like this telling how the Hq and the dealers treat people like morons. Now that I've heard about the throttle problem a few times I am going to have it in my mind to switch off the power if this happens. Hopefully I'll be able to do this under fire. Good Luck.

 

If you really believe that the throttle cable or linkage is defective, maybe you should pursue the issue further, perhaps with the help of an attorney (I know it is expensive, but who knows what could happen next time it sticks). I would speak to the manager of the Kawasaki dealership and ask him to look at the bike again. Well, good luck, these things are always frustrating and take time. This is when the manufacturers show their true colors.
Lakota300

 

Just my .02: I would send them the complaint, with pictures, to Kawi IN WRITING. Was anyone with you when it happened? Were you there while they perfomed the inspection of your throttle, and how did they go about doing that?

This bike has the potential to ruin Kawi if they are not careful.

 

Sorry to hear about your wreck.Sounds like your dealing with the same jerk I was over my defective gas tank.Hope you have better luck than I did with kawi.

 

next time it happens, shut off the ignition and you won't have an accident.

 

<next time it happens, shut off the ignition and you won't have an accident>

While climbing a hill? I think that would lead to an accident by itself.

I don't usually criticize posts, but................

 

<< &lt;next time it happens, shut off the ignition and you won't have an accident&gt;

While climbing a hill? I think that would lead to an accident by itself.

I don't usually criticize posts, but................ >>


oops lol... well in that case shut it off after you get over the top of the hill [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-wink.gif[/img]

 

You should take pictures of the bike, and yourself all banged up and send it to Kawisaki in writing. And at the bottom of the letter Carbon Copy (CC) it to a made up attorney with Esq. at the end. Maybe these little tricks could attract some attention. As much as it sucks...persistance and the patience that comes along with it is the only way to resolve these situations.

Good luck with your quads...ride safe...oh yeah, one of the best features about the 650. Is when you get some cranked up dood full of adrenaline while ridin he stays right up behind you on the trails cranking the throttle making a frail attempt to convince himself that his quad is equal to yours. He rides the crap ut of his, trying to keep up with the 650's handling and acceleration and nimbleness. He thinks he can hang...

....and then you give the 650 a little gas, maybe break the rear end out without trying and giving him a facefull of gravel, rocks and mud to bring him back down to earth. This machine IS beautiful.

Parker

 

If you have insurance on the machine, tell your agent what happened and have them investigate. They employ people to determine defects and manufacturing problems. It would be in the insurance companies best interest to find the true problem. They also carry a little more weight with manufacturers than an individual does.

Good luck,