KAWASAKI ER 500 C4P

498cc Petrol Class 2

#3356 of 5426 overall #397 of 592 KAWASAKIs #2142 of 2787 other bikes

81.1%

first-time pass rate

9.8%

failed outright

18,029

median miles at test

818

MOT tests, 2005–2025

Pass rate over time

first-time pass rate by test year · 2007–2021

The ER 500 C4P's first-time pass rate has fallen 3.9 points since 2007, 80.6% to 76.7%.

Pass rate by mileage

how the ER 500 C4P's first-time pass rate falls with the odometer · class average 84.9%

A low-mileage ER 500 C4P passes first time 86.9% of the time; by 40k that's 88.6%.

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 C4P

failure defects by component group · advisories excluded

Component group	Defects	% of defects	vs all bikes
brakes	43	26.4	1.0×
lighting and signalling	30	18.4	0.7×
tyres and wheels	24	14.7	1.2×
steering and suspension	19	11.7	0.6×
drive system	16	9.8	1.9×
lamps and reflectors	10	6.1	0.5×
structure and attachments	8	4.9	1.1×
tyres	6	3.7	0.9×
suspension	4	2.5	0.7×
steering	3	1.8	0.3×

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 C4P beats 3 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 C4P.

Pass rate by registration year

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

Best year to buy used: 2004 (82.0% pass). Weakest: 2005 (79.9%).

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 C4P FAQ

answers computed from the data above · terms in the glossary

Is the KAWASAKI ER 500 C4P reliable?

The KAWASAKI ER 500 C4P is less reliable than average for its class: 81.1% of its 818 MOT tests (2005–2025) passed first time, against a class average of 84.9%. That ranks it #3356 of 5426 models.

What does a ER 500 C4P fail its MOT on most?

brakes — 26% of all defects recorded against failed ER 500 C4P tests.

How many miles will a ER 500 C4P last?

The median ER 500 C4P shows 18,029 miles at test, and examples around 40k miles still pass 88.6% of the time — mileage alone rarely kills one.