Data as of: DVSA MOT results to 2025
Kawasaki KH500: MOT pass rate by registration year
Which KH500 years pass first time, and which fall short of the model's 88.4% average, from 834 DVSA tests.
Pass rate by registration year
Highest pass rate: 1974 (92.0% of 88 tests). Lowest: 1976 (85.5% of 345). Years more than two points below the model average: 1976.
| Registered | Tests | First-time pass | vs model (88.4%) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1971 | 89 | 89.9% | +1.5 pp |
| 1972 | 68 | 89.7% | +1.3 pp |
| 1974 | 88 | 92.0% | +3.6 pp |
| 1975 | 120 | 89.2% | +0.8 pp |
| 1976 | 345 | 85.5% | -2.9 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 KH500 years have the lowest MOT pass rate?
- 1976 registered examples pass first time less often than the Kawasaki KH500 overall (88.4%); the 1976 cohort is lowest at 85.5% from 345 tests.
- Which KH500 year has the highest MOT pass rate?
- 1974, at 92.0% of 88 first tests (2005–2025).
- How much does the KH500 pass rate vary by year?
- 6.5 percentage points between the highest (1974, 92.0%) and lowest (1976, 85.5%) 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 KH500 reliability, failures and mileage · ranked #1478 of 5428 models· other Kawasaki models: ZX-6R, ZX-9R, ZZR600, ER5, ZZ-R1100, ZX