BIKERELIABILITY Reg check
League table/ KAWASAKI/ER 650 A6S
Model report · 2005–2025

Data as of: DVSA MOT results to 2025

KAWASAKI ER 650 A6S

649cc Petrol Class 2
#3029 of 5428 overall #359 of 592 KAWASAKIs #1922 of 2788 other bikes
82.7%
first-time pass rate
9.5%
failed outright
13,998
median miles at test
2,497
MOT tests, 2005–2025
-2.5pp
vs expected · age & mileage

The pass rate is the MOT first-time pass: a roadworthiness check of the items an MOT covers (brakes, lights, tyres, steering, structure, emissions), not a full mechanical inspection of engine or gearbox internals. It is a reliability signal, not a complete measure of mechanical reliability. What this measures.

“vs expected” adjusts for age, mileage and test class, so a cherished classic and a hard-used commuter are compared fairly. How this works.

Pass rate over time

first-time pass rate by test year · 2009–2025

The ER 650 A6S's first-time pass rate has fallen 7.1 points since 2009, 85.8% to 78.7%.

68%80%92%2009: 85.8% pass (197 tests)2010: 87.6% pass (209 tests)2011: 82.9% pass (211 tests)2012: 86.8% pass (190 tests)2013: 87.1% pass (178 tests)2014: 83.5% pass (182 tests)2015: 88.0% pass (175 tests)2016: 83.6% pass (159 tests)2017: 77.9% pass (154 tests)2018: 82.9% pass (117 tests)2019: 78.4% pass (116 tests)2020: 74.5% pass (98 tests)2021: 82.6% pass (132 tests)2022: 72.1% pass (111 tests)2023: 77.6% pass (107 tests)2024: 76.0% pass (75 tests)2025: 78.7% pass (75 tests)20092025

Pass rate by mileage

how the ER 650 A6S's first-time pass rate falls with the odometer · class average 84.9%

A low-mileage ER 650 A6S passes first time 91.2% of the time; by 50k that's 56.3%.

49%74%98%0k: 91.2% pass (924 tests)10k: 82.4% pass (755 tests)20k: 76.0% pass (409 tests)30k: 72.3% pass (213 tests)40k: 72.4% pass (105 tests)50k: 56.3% pass (32 tests)0k30k50k

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 650 A6S

failure defects by component group · advisories excluded
Component group Share of defects Defects % of defects vs all bikes
brakes
93 19.5 0.7×
lighting and signalling
85 17.9 0.6×
lamps and reflectors
71 14.9 1.2×
steering and suspension
51 10.7 0.6×
structure and attachments
43 9 1.4×
tyres and wheels
41 8.6 0.7×
suspension
40 8.4 1.7×
drive system
27 5.7 1.2×
tyres
13 2.7 0.6×
reg plates and vin
12 2.5 0.8×

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 650 A6S beats 3 of its 4 closest rivals (KAWASAKI ZX-6R, SUZUKI GSF600, YAMAHA FZS600).

KAWASAKI ZX-6R 78.1% pass · 174k tests Compare head-to-head →
SUZUKI GSF600 77.3% pass · 143k tests Compare head-to-head →
YAMAHA FZS600 82.6% pass · 137k tests Compare head-to-head →
HONDA VFR800 FI 86.7% pass · 89.4k tests Compare head-to-head →

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 650 A6S.

Compare with any bike

rival not listed above? pick any model to see it head-to-head with the Er 650 A6S

More KAWASAKI models

other KAWASAKI bikes ranked by MOT pass rate
KAWASAKI ZX-6R 78.1% pass · 174k tests
KAWASAKI ZX-9R 80.7% pass · 89.0k tests
KAWASAKI ZZR600 79.0% pass · 53.7k tests
KAWASAKI ER5 77.4% pass · 53.1k tests
KAWASAKI ZZ-R1100 80.8% pass · 39.7k tests
KAWASAKI ZX 89.4% pass · 34.6k tests

See all KAWASAKI models →

Pass rate by registration year

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

Highest pass rate: 2005 (87.1%). Lowest: 2006 (82.1%). Every Er 650 A6S year compared →

81%85%88%2005: 87.1% pass (155 tests)2006: 82.1% pass (2,071 tests)2007: 84.1% pass (176 tests)2008: 86.9% pass (84 tests)200520072008

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 650 A6S FAQ

answers computed from the data above · terms in the glossary

Is the KAWASAKI ER 650 A6S reliable?

The KAWASAKI ER 650 A6S is less reliable than average for its class: 82.7% of its 2,497 MOT tests (2005–2025) passed first time, against a class average of 84.9%. That ranks it #3029 of 5428 models.

What does a ER 650 A6S fail its MOT on most?

brakes: 20% of all defects recorded against failed ER 650 A6S tests.

What is the best year of ER 650 A6S to buy used?

By first-time pass rate, 2005-registered examples do best (87.1%) and 2006 worst (82.1%). Condition and history still trump the year.

How many miles will a ER 650 A6S last?

The median ER 650 A6S shows 13,998 miles at test, and examples around 50k miles still pass 56.3% of the time, so mileage alone rarely decides the result.

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