BIKERELIABILITY
MOT DATA · GREAT BRITAIN · 2005–2025
League table/ KAWASAKI/ER 650 KLF
Model report · 2005–2025

KAWASAKI ER 650 KLF

649cc Petrol Class 2
91.2%
first-time pass rate
4.7%
failed outright
7,396
median miles at test
215
MOT tests, 2005–2025

Pass rate over time

first-time pass rate by test year · 2023–2025

The ER 650 KLF's first-time pass rate has risen 4.2 points since 2023, 88.3% to 92.5%.

87%90%94%2023: 88.3% pass (60 tests)2024: 91.9% pass (74 tests)2025: 92.5% pass (80 tests)20232025

What fails on a ER 650 KLF

failure defects by component group · advisories excluded
Component group Share of defects Defects % of defects
lamps and reflectors
4 25
structure and attachments
4 25
Identification of the vehicle
3 18.8
brakes
2 12.5
tyres
1 6.2
suspension
1 6.2
audible warning (Horn)
1 6.2

Defects recorded against failed normal tests, 2005–2025, grouped by DVSA inspection section. One test can record multiple defects.

How rivals compare

same type, similar capacity, high test volume

On first-time pass rate the ER 650 KLF beats 4 of its 4 closest rivals (KAWASAKI ZX-6R, SUZUKI GSF600, YAMAHA FZS600).

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 KLF.

Pass rate by registration year

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

Best year to buy used: 2020 (91.3% pass). Weakest: 2021 (90.7%).

90%91%92%2020: 91.3% pass (161 tests)2021: 90.7% pass (54 tests)20202021

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.