MC21-07 Exhaust Pipe Nuts – 2020 Kawasaki W800 CAFE (EJ800C), & 2020-2021 W800 (EJ800D) Motorcycles

October 18, 2021 NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 21V819000

Improperly Tightened Exhaust Pipe Nuts

The exhaust pipe nuts and collar may become a road hazard, increasing the risk of a crash or injury.

 

NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V819

Manufacturer Kawasaki Motors Corp., U.S.A.

Components ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING

Potential Number of Units Affected 574

 

Summary

Kawasaki Motors Corp., U.S.A. (KMC) is recalling certain 2020 W800 CAFE (EJ800C), and 2020-2021 W800 (EJ800D) motorcycles. The exhaust pipe nuts may not be tightened properly, possibly resulting in the exhaust pipe nuts and collar falling off the motorcycle.

 

Remedy

Dealers will replace the gaskets and the collars, and reinstall the muffler, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed November 2, 2021. Owners may contact KMC customer service at 1-866-802-9381. KMC’s number for this recall is MC21-07.

 

Notes

Owners may also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), or go to www.nhtsa.gov.

 

Check for Kawasaki Recalls

 

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SERVICE

MC 21-07
October 29, 2021

 

TITLE:  2020 & 2021 W800 & W800 CAFE

IMPROPER TIGHTENING EXHAUST HOLDER NUTS

 

RECALL

THIS BULLETIN IS OF THE HIGHEST PRIORITY AND MUST BE ACTED UPON IMMEDIATELY TO ENSURE CUSTOMER SAFETY.

 

Eligibility

Eligible Units

Year	Model Name	Model Code
2020	W800 CAFE W800	EJ800CLF/CLFL EJ800DLF/DLFL
2021	W800	EJ800DMFNL

 

Verify individual vehicle eligibility using VIP in K-Dealer before starting the repair. Please check VIP (Vehicle Information Portal) in K-Dealer for other possible repair campaigns for eligible units.

 

Subject

On the affected units, the exhaust pipe holder nuts that secure the exhaust pipe to the cylinder may not have been tightened correctly during assembly. Continued use of the vehicle with this condition could potentially result in the nuts and securing collars falling off and becoming a road hazard, increasing the risk of a crash.

 

Kawasaki Action

Initiate Campaign:

Kawasaki has initiated a Recall campaign to repair all eligible units. The repair consists of replacing the exhaust pipe holder gaskets and exhaust pipe collars with new ones.

 

Notify Registered Owners:

Kawasaki is sending a Recall letter to all registered owners of eligible units. A copy of the letter is printed on page 7 of this bulletin.

 

Dealer Action

Repair Eligible Units:

Repair all eligible units including sold units in the field and unsold units in your dealership inventory prior to delivery to the retail purchaser. It is the obligation of authorized Kawasaki retail Dealers to repair eligible units in Dealer’s possession prior to retail sale. Failure to comply with this obligation to repair all units eligible for Recall or FDM campaigns by the Dealer constitutes a breach of the Dealer Sales and Service Agreement. Refer to Service Policies bulletin SP 08-01. Refer to the Repair Procedure section of this bulletin for details.

 

IMPORTANT NOTE:

o It’s the law! Under the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), Federal Law 49 U.S.C. Section 30120(i) requires dealers to perform Recall repairs before delivering any vehicle affected by the Recall to a purchaser.

 

Document Completed Repairs:

Federal law requires manufacturers to maintain accurate follow-up records on repairs performed on eligible units. Dealers MUST submit a Warranty Claim for each repair. Refer to the Warranty Information section of this bulletin for details.

 

NOTE:

• If you fail to submit a Warranty Claim for a new unit that is subsequently sold and registered, the new owner will receive the Recall letter requesting the return of the vehicle to you for repair.

 

Submit Product Registration:

Submit the product registration to Kawasaki via K-Dealer immediately after retail sale of any eligible unit. Be sure to supply the correct customer name and mailing address. Kawasaki uses the product registration information for customer notification. Also, if you know that the customer has moved, please submit a Customer Update via K-Dealer.

 

Parts Information

Repair Kit Part Number:

Kit 99999-0823 must be installed on all eligible units.

Order parts to complete the recall through K-Dealer as outlined in Service Bulletin SP15-03.

 

Parts Availability:

To ensure parts availability across the dealer network, Kawasaki initially requests that parts are ordered based on immediate demand:

• For retailed units, order parts as customers schedule repairs or for repairs expected to take place within the next two weeks.

• For unsold units, use VIP in K-Dealer to identify the number of affected units in your dealership inventory.

Order repair parts only for units that will be repaired for retail sale within the next two weeks.

 

NOTE:

• Use VIP in K-Dealer to identify affected units in your dealership inventory to order repair kits for unsold units.

 

Kit, Exhaust Pipe Repair, MC21-07 P/N 99999-0823
EJ800CLF/CLFL, EJ800DLF/DLFL & EJ800DMFNL
Ref.#	Contents	Qty
1	Gasket, Exhaust Pipe Holder	2
2	Collar, Exhaust Pipe	4
3	Gasket, Exhaust Pipe	1

 

Repair Procedure

Refer to service manual 99832-0013-06 for detailed information related to parts removal and installation.

 

WARNING

The mufflers can become extremely hot during normal operation and cause severe burns. Do not remove the mufflers while hot.

 

IMPORTANT NOTE:

• Do not pull, twist or bend the oxygen sensor lead. This may cause permanent damage to the wiring rendering the sensor inoperable.

• Disconnect the oxygen sensor lead connectors [A], and free the lead from the clamps [B].

 

IMPORTANT NOTE:

• Do not remove the oxygen sensors from the exhaust pipes.
• Remove and retain the right and left exhaust pipe holder nuts [A].

 

• Loosen the muffler clamp bolt [A].

• Remove and retain the right muffler bolts [B].

• Remove and retain the left muffler bolts [Right side shown, left side similar].

• Gently twist and pull the right side exhaust pipe forward to separate the header from the cylinder head.

• Remove and discard both halves of the right exhaust pipe collar [Ref. 2].

• Remove and discard the right side exhaust pipe copper gasket [Ref. 1].

• Remove and discard the exhaust pipe gasket [Ref. 3] from the left muffler crossover pipe.

• Gently twist and pull the left side exhaust pipe forward to separate it from the cylinder head.

• Remove and discard both halves of the left exhaust pipe collar [Ref. 2].

• Remove and discard the left side exhaust pipe copper gasket [Ref. 1].

 

Left Exhaust Pipe and Muffler

• Install the muffler clamp [C] in the position shown below.

• Install the new exhaust pipe gasket [3], flat edge first, facing the left exhaust pipe and the chamfered edge out, facing the right side exhaust pipe, into the left muffler crossover tube as shown below.

• Install one of the exhaust pipe holder gaskets [1] and two of the exhaust pipe collars [2] in the left exhaust pipe [P] as shown below.

• Install the left exhaust pipe holder [H], gasket [1] and collars [2] on the cylinder studs of the left cylinder.

• Install the two original exhaust holder nuts [N] on the exhaust studs and hand tighten only.

• Install the the left muffler body bolts [B] and temporarily tighten to 8.9 ft·lb (1.22 kgf·m, 12 N·m).

• Tighten the exhaust pipe holder nuts [N] incrementally following this tightening sequence:

1. Tighten #1 then #2 to 62 in·lb (0.71 kgf·m, 7 N·m).

2. Tighten #1 then #2 to 106.2 in·lb (1.22 kgf·m, 12 N·m).

3. Tighten #1, then #2 to 18.8 ft·lb (2.6 kgf·m, 25.5 N·m).

4. Tighten #1, then #2 to 18.8 ft·lb (2.6 kgf·m, 25.5 N·m) again.

• After tightening, check that the exhaust pipe holder does not contact the cylinder head.

• • If the exhaust pipe holder [H] contacts the cylinder head, remove the nuts [N] and holder [H] and reinstall the collars [2] in the correct position as shown below. Retighten following the sequence above.

• Tighten the left muffler body bolts [B] to 15 ft·lb (2.1 kgf·m, 21 N·m).

 

Right Exhaust Pipe and Muffler

• Install one of the exhaust pipe holder gaskets [1] and two of the exhaust pipe collars [2] in the right exhaust pipe [P] as shown below.

• Install the right exhaust pipe holder [H], gasket [1] and collars [2] on the cylinder studs of the right cylinder.

• Insert the right exhaust pipe fitting [F] fully into the left exhaust pipe with clamp [C] as shown.

• Install the two original exhaust holder nuts [N] on the exhaust studs and hand tighten only.

• Install the right muffler body bolts [B] and temporarily tighten to 8.9 ft·lb (1.22 kgf·m, 12 N·m).

• Tighten the exhaust pipe holder nuts [N] incrementally following this tightening sequence:

1. Tighten #1 then #2 to 62 in·lb (0.71 kgf·m, 7 N·m).

2. Tighten #1 then #2 to 106.2 in·lb (1.22 kgf·m, 12 N·m).

3. Tighten #1 then #2 to 18.8 ft·lb (2.6 kgf·m, 25.5 N·m).

4. Tighten #1 then #2 to 18.8 ft·lb (2.6 kgf·m, 25.5 N·m) again.

• After tightening, check that the exhaust pipe holder does not contact the cylinder head.

• • If the exhaust pipe holder [H] contacts the cylinder head, remove the nuts [N] and holder [H] and reinstall the collars [2] in the correct position as shown below. Retighten following the sequence above.

• Tighten the right muffler body bolts [B] to 15 ft·lb (2.1 kgf·m, 21 N·m).

• Tighten muffler clamp [C] to 12.2 ft·lb (1.68 kgf·m, 16.5 N·m).

• Connect the oxygen sensor lead connectors [A], and secure the leads in the clamps [B].

 

IMPORTANT NOTE:

• Tightening the exhaust fasteners after warming the engine thoroughly must be performed to acheieve proper torque.

 

Final Fastener Torque

• Thoroughly warm up the engine then cool down the engine with a fan.

• Retighten all nuts and bolts one last time as follows:

• • Tighten the exhaust pipe holder nuts to 18.8 ft·lb (2.6 kgf·m, 25.5 N·m).

• • Tighten the muffler body bolts to 15 ft·lb (2.1 kgf·m, 21 N·m).

• • Tighten the muffler clamp bolt to 12.2 ft·lb (1.68 kgf·m, 16.5 N·m).

 

Repair Verification

Make a white paint mark [M] on the frame bracket as shown to serve as repair verification.

 

NOTE:

• Repair verification is an essential part of the repair procedure. Along with the physical repair verification, check VIP (Vehicle Information Portal) in K-Dealer for other possible repair campaigns for eligible units.

 

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2020 & 2021 W800 & W800 CAFE

IMPROPER TIGHTENING EXHAUST HOLDER NUTS

IMPORTANT SAFETY RECALL

NHTSA RECALL NO. 21V-819

 

Dear Kawasaki Motorcycle Owner:

This notice is sent to you in accordance with the National Traffic and Motor Vehicle Safety Act. Kawasaki Motors Corp., U.S.A., has decided that a defect which relates to motor vehicle safety exists in certain 2020 & 2021 W800 & W800 CAFE models.

 

The reason for this notice:

On the affected units, the exhaust pipe holder nuts that secure the exhaust pipe to the cylinder may not have been tightened correctly during assembly. Continued use of the vehicle with this condition could potentially result in the nuts and securing collars falling off and becoming a road hazard, increasing the risk of a crash. Our records indicate that you have purchased one of these units.

 

What Kawasaki and your dealer will do:

Kawasaki has authorized your dealer to replace the exhaust pipe holder gaskets, exhaust pipe connecting gasket and exhaust pipe collars with new ones free of charge. The actual repair will take up to 30 minutes but may take longer due to scheduling at the dealership and the time needed to obtain required parts.

 

What should you do to ensure your safety?

Please call your Kawasaki dealer to schedule an appointment to have your motorcycle inspected and repaired as required. Please have your Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) ready when calling. To locate the nearest authorized Kawasaki motorcycle dealer, please visit www.kawasaki.com and click on the “LOCATE DEALER” link. If you are unable to transport your motorcycle to your nearest Kawasaki dealer, please contact Kawasaki Motors Corp., U.S.A. to make arrangements for the transportation and repair of your motorcycle. The transportation and repair will be conducted with no cost to you.

 

If you need help:

If you have questions or concerns that your dealer is not able to resolve, please contact Kawasaki Customer Care at (866) 802-9381 (toll-free) between 7:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. PT Monday through Friday. Please have your VIN ready when calling.

If your dealer fails or is unable to remedy this defect without charge within a reasonable amount of time (60 days after your first attempt to obtain remedy), you may submit a written complaint to the Administrator, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 1200 New Jersey Ave. S.E., Washington, D.C. 20590, or call the toll-free Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1(888) 327-4236 (TTY: 1-800-424-9153); or go to https://www.safercar.gov.

 

If you received this notice in error:

Our records indicate you are the current owner of the motorcycle described in this letter. If you no longer have the vehicle described in this letter, please help us to update our records at www.kawasaki.com by clicking on “OWNER CENTER => KAWASAKI SUPPORT => UPDATE OWNER INFO” or by calling Kawasaki toll free at (866) 802-9381. Federal regulation requires that any vehicle lessor receiving this recall notice must forward a copy of this notice to the lessee within ten days.

 

Reimbursement:

If you have experienced the failure described above prior to receiving this letter and have paid to have it corrected, you may be eligible for full or partial reimbursement for your documented cost of repair(s). To apply for reimbursement, please send copies of current owner and VIN information along with copies of repair orders and payment confirmation to the following address:

Kawasaki Motors Corp., U.S.A.
ATTN:  Customer Care
P.O. Box 25252
Santa Ana, California 92799-5252

Please note the following conditions for reimbursement:

Claims may be excluded if proper documentation is not included. Current owner and VIN information along with copies of repair orders and payment confirmation must be provided.

We are sorry for any inconvenience this may cause, but we have taken this action in the interest of your safety and your continued satisfaction with your Kawasaki motorcycle.

Sincerely,

Kawasaki Motors Corp., U.S.A.

 

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Chronology :

• April 2020: Kawasaki Heavy Industries, Ltd (KHI) received a report from Japanese distributor (KMJ) that “The exhaust pipe nut was not tightened properly”, and “The exhaust pipe nut and the exhaust pipe collar had fallen off and the exhaust pipe holder had come out”. KHI Quality Assurance Division distributed the information to KHI Manufacturing Division and started the investigation of the cause.
• May 2020: There was no abnormality found in the manufacturing process.
• September 2020: After checking the tightening torque data of the exhaust pipe nut when the vehicle was assembled, it was confirmed that all the defective vehicles were tightened with the proper tightening torque value.
• October 2020: Simulation tests were conducted on an engine test bench with the nut tightened below the lower tightening torque limit, but looseness of the exhaust pipe nut did not occur and the cause could not be identified.
• November 2020: The dimensions of the failed parts were measured, but all results were within specifications.
• February 2021: The influence of the tightening torque was tested with variation of the height of the exhaust pipe collar, and the collar fitted position in the exhaust pipe holder, but no abnormality was found with the tightened torque value.
• June 2021: Other simulation tests were done with abnormal tightening conditions, such as changing the tightening procedure of the exhaust pipe, and tightening the exhaust pipe nuts with uneven tightening torque, but no abnormality was found with the tightened torque.
• September 2021: It was found that the tightened torque value of the exhaust pipe nuts were decreased drastically, when the exhaust pipe nuts were tightened without the temporary tightening of the muffler body bolts. (The temporary tightening of the muffler body bolts was necessary before the tightening of the exhaust pipe nuts with specified torque.)
• October 11, 2021：KHI decided to initiate a recall campaign.

 

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2 Affected Products

Vehicle

MAKE	MODEL	YEAR
KAWASAKI	EJ800	2020-2021

 

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9 Associated Documents

Recall 573 Report – Amendment 2

RCLRPT-21V819-1096.PDF 219.388KB

 

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Recall Acknowledgement

RCAK-21V819-3072.pdf 728.486KB

 

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Defect Notice 573 Report

RCLRPT-21V819-3782.PDF 219.044KB

 

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Recall Quarterly Report #1, 2021-4

RCLQRT-21V819-2401.PDF 211.148KB

 

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Recall 573 Report – AMENDMENT 1

RCLRPT-21V819-3893.PDF 219.069KB

 

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Remedy Instructions and TSB

RCRIT-21V819-1341.pdf 1667.537KB

 

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Recall Quarterly Report #2, 2022-1

RCLQRT-21V819-2640.PDF 211.243KB

 

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Recall Quarterly Report #3, 2022-2

RCLQRT-21V819-3326.PDF 211.328KB

 

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Recall Quarterly Report #4, 2022-3

RCLQRT-21V819-9856.PDF 211.431KB

 

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Latest Recalls Documents

For the Latest and Most Recent Recalls Information Visit the link below…

https://www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/acms/cs/documentList.xhtml?docId=21V819&docType=RCL

 

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