KAWASAKI ER500-A3

498cc Petrol Class 2

#3704 of 5426 overall #444 of 592 KAWASAKIs #2355 of 2787 other bikes

79.4%

first-time pass rate

14.3%

failed outright

21,781

median miles at test

384

MOT tests, 2005–2025

Pass rate over time

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

The ER500-A3's first-time pass rate has fallen 9.3 points since 2006, 93.7% to 84.4%.

Pass rate by mileage

how the ER500-A3's first-time pass rate falls with the odometer · class average 84.9%

A low-mileage ER500-A3 passes first time 90.3% of the time; by 40k that's 74.2%.

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 ER500-A3

failure defects by component group · advisories excluded

Component group	Defects	% of defects
brakes	34	24.5
steering and suspension	33	23.7
lighting and signalling	21	15.1
tyres and wheels	16	11.5
drive system	15	10.8
reg plates and vin	5	3.6
lamps and reflectors	5	3.6
fuel and exhaust	4	2.9
body and structure	4	2.9
tyres	2	1.4

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 ER500-A3 beats 2 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 ER500-A3.

Pass rate by registration year

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

Best year to buy used: 2000 (82.4% pass). Weakest: 1999 (79.0%).

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.