KAWASAKI EX500 E9

498cc Petrol Class 2

#3601 of 5426 overall #430 of 592 KAWASAKIs #2295 of 2787 other bikes

79.9%

first-time pass rate

14.4%

failed outright

15,770

median miles at test

958

MOT tests, 2005–2025

Pass rate over time

first-time pass rate by test year · 2006–2017

The EX500 E9's first-time pass rate has held steady since 2006 (86.0% → 86.7%).

Pass rate by mileage

how the EX500 E9's first-time pass rate falls with the odometer · class average 84.9%

A low-mileage EX500 E9 passes first time 89.1% of the time; by 40k that's 66.7%.

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 E9

failure defects by component group · advisories excluded

Component group	Defects	% of defects	vs all bikes
steering and suspension	84	25.3	1.8×
brakes	83	25	1.3×
drive system	46	13.9	4.0×
lighting and signalling	44	13.3	1.0×
tyres and wheels	30	9	1.4×
fuel and exhaust	17	5.1	2.3×
lamps and reflectors	10	3	0.6×
suspension	7	2.1	1.0×
tyres	7	2.1	1.1×
driving controls	4	1.2	1.8×

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 EX500 E9 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 EX500 E9.

Pass rate by registration year

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

Best year to buy used: 2002 (79.7% pass). Weakest: 2003 (78.2%).

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 E9 FAQ

answers computed from the data above · terms in the glossary

Is the KAWASAKI EX500 E9 reliable?

The KAWASAKI EX500 E9 is less reliable than average for its class: 79.9% of its 958 MOT tests (2005–2025) passed first time, against a class average of 84.9%. That ranks it #3601 of 5426 models.

What does a EX500 E9 fail its MOT on most?

steering and suspension — 25% of all defects recorded against failed EX500 E9 tests.

How many miles will a EX500 E9 last?

The median EX500 E9 shows 15,770 miles at test, and examples around 40k miles still pass 66.7% of the time — mileage alone rarely kills one.