KAWASAKI ER 500-A1

498cc Petrol Class 2

#4488 of 5426 overall #554 of 592 KAWASAKIs #2730 of 2787 other bikes

73.1%

first-time pass rate

15.6%

failed outright

24,653

median miles at test

527

MOT tests, 2005–2025

Pass rate over time

first-time pass rate by test year · 2006–2009

The ER 500-A1's first-time pass rate has risen 6.4 points since 2006, 72.0% to 78.4%.

Pass rate by mileage

how the ER 500-A1's first-time pass rate falls with the odometer · class average 84.9%

A low-mileage ER 500-A1 passes first time 88.6% of the time; by 50k that's 56.7%.

First-time pass rate by odometer reading at test, 10,000-mile bands for this model. Mileage is the strongest reliability signal. See the full curve.

What fails on a ER 500-A1

failure defects by component group · advisories excluded

Component group	Defects	% of defects	vs all bikes
brakes	61	25.5	1.9×
steering and suspension	60	25.1	2.5×
lighting and signalling	46	19.2	1.5×
tyres and wheels	23	9.6	1.8×
drive system	17	7.1	3.2×
lamps and reflectors	12	5	0.5×
body and structure	8	3.3	2.8×
fuel and exhaust	6	2.5	1.3×
structure and attachments	4	1.7	0.8×
driving controls	2	0.8	1.6×

Defects recorded against failed normal tests, 2005–2025, grouped by DVSA inspection section. One test can record multiple defects. "vs all bikes" is how often this model's tests record a defect in the group, as a multiple of the all-bike rate.

How rivals compare

same type, similar capacity, high test volume

On first-time pass rate the ER 500-A1 beats 0 of its 4 closest rivals (KAWASAKI ZX-6R, SUZUKI GSF600, YAMAHA FZS600).

KAWASAKI ZX-6R 78.1% pass · 174k tests SUZUKI GSF600 77.3% pass · 143k tests YAMAHA FZS600 82.6% pass · 137k tests SUZUKI SV650S 80.6% pass · 84.6k tests

Rivals share this bike's type and sit within ±30% of its engine capacity, ≥ 5,000 tests. Card colour = better/worse first-time pass rate than the ER 500-A1.

Pass rate by registration year

how each model-year cohort fares · registration year from first use date

Best year to buy used: 1997 (74.8% pass). Weakest: 1998 (63.6%).

First-time pass rate by the year each bike was first registered (cohorts with ≥ 50 tests). Older cohorts are survivors: the worst examples have already left the road, which tends to lift the earliest years.

KAWASAKI ER 500-A1 FAQ

answers computed from the data above · terms in the glossary

Is the KAWASAKI ER 500-A1 reliable?

The KAWASAKI ER 500-A1 is less reliable than average for its class: 73.1% of its 527 MOT tests (2005–2025) passed first time, against a class average of 84.9%. That ranks it #4488 of 5426 models.

What does a ER 500-A1 fail its MOT on most?

brakes — 26% of all defects recorded against failed ER 500-A1 tests.

How many miles will a ER 500-A1 last?

The median ER 500-A1 shows 24,653 miles at test, and examples around 50k miles still pass 56.7% of the time — mileage alone rarely kills one.