KAWASAKI EX 500 E10

498cc Petrol Class 2

#3577 of 5426 overall #424 of 592 KAWASAKIs #2275 of 2787 other bikes

80.0%

first-time pass rate

13.0%

failed outright

11,815

median miles at test

1,292

MOT tests, 2005–2025

Pass rate over time

first-time pass rate by test year · 2006–2023

The EX 500 E10's first-time pass rate has fallen 18.3 points since 2006, 89.7% to 71.4%.

Pass rate by mileage

how the EX 500 E10's first-time pass rate falls with the odometer · class average 84.9%

A low-mileage EX 500 E10 passes first time 86.8% of the time; by 30k that's 71.6%.

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 EX 500 E10

failure defects by component group · advisories excluded

Component group	Defects	% of defects	vs all bikes
steering and suspension	83	24.1	1.5×
brakes	71	20.6	1.0×
lighting and signalling	46	13.3	0.7×
drive system	34	9.9	2.6×
lamps and reflectors	26	7.5	0.8×
suspension	24	7	1.8×
tyres and wheels	22	6.4	0.8×
fuel and exhaust	18	5.2	1.4×
structure and attachments	15	4.3	1.2×
reg plates and vin	6	1.7	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 EX 500 E10 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 EX 500 E10.

Pass rate by registration year

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

Best year to buy used: 2003 (80.4% pass). Weakest: 2004 (79.4%).

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 EX 500 E10 FAQ

answers computed from the data above · terms in the glossary

Is the KAWASAKI EX 500 E10 reliable?

The KAWASAKI EX 500 E10 is less reliable than average for its class: 80.0% of its 1,292 MOT tests (2005–2025) passed first time, against a class average of 84.9%. That ranks it #3577 of 5426 models.

What does a EX 500 E10 fail its MOT on most?

steering and suspension — 24% of all defects recorded against failed EX 500 E10 tests.

How many miles will a EX 500 E10 last?

The median EX 500 E10 shows 11,815 miles at test, and examples around 30k miles still pass 71.6% of the time — mileage alone rarely kills one.