KAWASAKI EX500-A5

498cc Petrol Class 2

#4160 of 5426 overall #504 of 592 KAWASAKIs #2601 of 2787 other bikes

76.2%

first-time pass rate

17.6%

failed outright

27,678

median miles at test

723

MOT tests, 2005–2025

Pass rate over time

first-time pass rate by test year · 2006–2015

The EX500-A5's first-time pass rate has risen 11.6 points since 2006, 74.1% to 85.7%.

Pass rate by mileage

how the EX500-A5's first-time pass rate falls with the odometer · class average 84.9%

A low-mileage EX500-A5 passes first time 84.9% of the time; by 40k that's 71.9%.

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 EX500-A5

failure defects by component group · advisories excluded

Component group	Defects	% of defects	vs all bikes
steering and suspension	86	29.9	3.0×
brakes	67	23.3	1.6×
lighting and signalling	57	19.8	1.5×
tyres and wheels	22	7.6	1.4×
fuel and exhaust	18	6.2	3.1×
drive system	16	5.6	2.7×
lamps and reflectors	8	2.8	0.6×
body and structure	5	1.7	1.2×
structure and attachments	5	1.7	0.8×
suspension	4	1.4	0.6×

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 EX500-A5 beats 0 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 EX500-A5.

Pass rate by registration year

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

Best year to buy used: 1991 (76.3% pass). Weakest: 1992 (75.0%).

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.

KAWASAKI EX500-A5 FAQ

answers computed from the data above · terms in the glossary

Is the KAWASAKI EX500-A5 reliable?

The KAWASAKI EX500-A5 is less reliable than average for its class: 76.2% of its 723 MOT tests (2005–2025) passed first time, against a class average of 84.9%. That ranks it #4160 of 5426 models.

What does a EX500-A5 fail its MOT on most?

steering and suspension — 30% of all defects recorded against failed EX500-A5 tests.

How many miles will a EX500-A5 last?

The median EX500-A5 shows 27,678 miles at test, and examples around 40k miles still pass 71.9% of the time — mileage alone rarely kills one.