Data as of: DVSA MOT results to 2025
Kawasaki EX500: MOT pass rate by registration year
Which EX500 years pass first time, and which fall short of the model's 72.5% average, from 876 DVSA tests.
Pass rate by registration year
Highest pass rate: 1998 (85.7% of 70 tests). Lowest: 1989 (66.7% of 51). Years more than two points below the model average: 1989, 1995, 2001, 2003.
| Registered | Tests | First-time pass | vs model (72.5%) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1989 | 51 | 66.7% | -5.8 pp |
| 1993 | 58 | 74.1% | +1.6 pp |
| 1995 | 66 | 69.7% | -2.8 pp |
| 1998 | 70 | 85.7% | +13.2 pp |
| 1999 | 75 | 77.3% | +4.8 pp |
| 2000 | 89 | 76.4% | +3.9 pp |
| 2001 | 64 | 67.2% | -5.3 pp |
| 2002 | 81 | 81.5% | +9.0 pp |
| 2003 | 57 | 70.2% | -2.3 pp |
Older cohorts are survivors: the worst examples have already left the road, which tends to lift the earliest years. A first-time MOT pass is a roadworthiness check, not a full mechanical inspection.
Pass rate over time
Questions
- Which EX500 years have the lowest MOT pass rate?
- 1989, 1995, 2001, 2003 registered examples pass first time less often than the Kawasaki EX500 overall (72.5%); the 1989 cohort is lowest at 66.7% from 51 tests.
- Which EX500 year has the highest MOT pass rate?
- 1998, at 85.7% of 70 first tests (2005–2025). Years more than two points above the model average: 1998, 1999, 2000, 2002.
- How much does the EX500 pass rate vary by year?
- 19.0 percentage points between the highest (1998, 85.7%) and lowest (1989, 66.7%) cohorts with at least 50 tests. Older cohorts are survivors: the worst examples have already left the road, which tends to lift the earliest years.
Full report: Kawasaki EX500 reliability, failures and mileage · ranked #4542 of 5428 models· other Kawasaki models: ZX-6R, ZX-9R, ZZR600, ER5, ZZ-R1100, ZX