How to Flush Kawasaki KLR 650 Coolant 

Flushing the coolant in a Kawasaki motorcycle removes any contaminants that might damage seals and gaskets, or corrode other parts of the cooling system. 

A well-maintained cooling system will be less prone to failures and last longer. Coolant flushing a Kawasaki KLR 650R is one of the few maintenance tasks that requires you to take your motorcycle out for a run halfway through. Watch the video above and follow the steps below to flush the coolant in a Kawasaki KLR 650 motorcycle.

Tools and Supplies: Kawasaki KLR 650 Coolant Flush

  • 3/8 ratchet and extension
  • 8mm,10mm sockets
  • Philips screwdriver
  • Pliers
  • Coolant flush solution
  • Engine coolant
 

Kawasaki Aluma Cool engine coolant

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Flush the Coolant on a Kawasaki KLR 650R

Step 1. Remove the bottom engine guard by taking off the four bolts that hold it in place.

Kawasaki KLR650 motorcycle coolant flush

Step 2. Drain the coolant from the radiator by first removing the radiator cap (located in front of the gas tank below the handlebars on the left side). Next, remove the coolant drain bolt and crush washer (located at the bottom of the water pump on the lower right side of the engine). Once the coolant has fully drained, reinstall the crush washer and drain bolt.

Kawasaki KLR 650 coolant flush

Step 3. Drain the coolant overflow reservoir by first removing the plastic cover in front of the reservoir. Then, remove the four reservoir mounting bolts and the feed pipe at the top of the reservoir. Tip the reservoir forward and drain out the remaining coolant. Inspect the reservoir for any debris or sediment. If necessary, completely remove the reservoir by also disconnecting the lower feed pipe and then thoroughly cleaning the reservoir.

Kawasaki KLR650 coolant overflow reservoir

Step 4. Refill the overflow reservoir with water (not coolant) to about a third of its capacity. Next, reconnect the pipe at the top and reinstall the reservoir into the frame.

Step 5. Flush the cooling system with water by refilling the radiator with water (again, not coolant), then running the engine for a few seconds. Check the water level in the radiator and top it off if necessary. Replace the radiator cap and run the engine for about 10 minutes.

Kawasaki KLR motorcycle radiator filler tube

Step 6. Drain the water from the radiator, as you did with the coolant in Step 2.

Step 7. Flush the cooling system with coolant flush. Different coolant flushes will have slightly varied mixture ratios, so follow the instructions on the bottle of your coolant flush. This step typically involves adding a mixture of water and coolant flush, then running the motorcycle for a longer period of time.

Kawasaki KLR 650 dual sport coolant flush

Step 8. Drain the water/coolant flush mixture from the radiator, as described in Step 2.

Step 9. Re-flush the cooling system with water by repeating Step 5.

Step 10. Drain the water from the radiator, as described in Step 2. 

Kawasaki KLR motorcycle coolant flush water drain

NOTE: At this point, inspect the drain bolt's crush washer. If the crush washer is showing signs of wear and has lost some of its "spring", now is a good time to replace it.

Step 11. Drain the coolant overflow reservoir and inspect it for debris, as described in Step 3.

Step 12. Refill the coolant overflow reservoir to the top fill mark with engine coolant. Reconnect the pipe at the top and reinstall the reservoir into the frame.

Kawasaki KLR 650 motorcycle coolant reservoir

Step 13. Refill the radiator with engine coolant. Replace the radiator filler cap and run the engine for a couple of minutes.

Kawasaki KLR650 radiator coolant refill

Step 14. Check the coolant levels in the radiator and overflow reservoir, and top them off if necessary.

Step 15. Reinstall the plastic cover in front of the reservoir and the bottom engine guard and you're done.

Ready to do more Kawasaki KLR650 motorcycle maintenance? Watch the video below to see how to change the oil in a KLR650 Kawasaki bike.

 

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