BIKERELIABILITY
MOT DATA · GREAT BRITAIN · 2005–2025
League table/ KAWASAKI/VN 800 B10P CLASSIC
Model report · 2005–2025

KAWASAKI VN 800 B10P CLASSIC

805cc Petrol Class 2
88.6%
first-time pass rate
5.1%
failed outright
9,868
median miles at test
1,029
MOT tests, 2005–2025

Pass rate over time

first-time pass rate by test year · 2008–2025

The VN 800 B10P CLASSIC's first-time pass rate has fallen 2.4 points since 2008, 90.3% to 87.9%.

72%86%100%2008: 90.3% pass (62 tests)2009: 86.3% pass (73 tests)2010: 87.0% pass (69 tests)2011: 94.5% pass (73 tests)2012: 92.0% pass (75 tests)2013: 87.1% pass (70 tests)2014: 91.3% pass (69 tests)2015: 88.2% pass (68 tests)2016: 86.4% pass (66 tests)2017: 88.5% pass (61 tests)2018: 91.7% pass (48 tests)2019: 82.4% pass (51 tests)2020: 92.7% pass (41 tests)2021: 95.8% pass (48 tests)2022: 87.8% pass (49 tests)2023: 76.7% pass (43 tests)2025: 87.9% pass (33 tests)20082025

Pass rate by mileage

how the VN 800 B10P CLASSIC's first-time pass rate falls with the odometer · class average 84.9%

A low-mileage VN 800 B10P CLASSIC passes first time 90.5% of the time; by 30k that's 85.3%.

82%87%92%0k: 90.5% pass (518 tests)10k: 88.9% pass (325 tests)20k: 83.6% pass (116 tests)30k: 85.3% pass (34 tests)0k20k30k

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 VN 800 B10P CLASSIC

failure defects by component group · advisories excluded
Component group Share of defects Defects % of defects vs all bikes
lamps and reflectors
25 25 0.7×
lighting and signalling
21 21 0.4×
brakes
17 17 0.3×
tyres and wheels
9 9 0.4×
fuel and exhaust
7 7 0.8×
steering and suspension
6 6 0.2×
drive system
5 5 0.4×
structure and attachments
4 4 0.6×
tyres
3 3 0.4×
reg plates and vin
3 3 0.2×

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 VN 800 B10P CLASSIC beats 4 of its 4 closest rivals (KAWASAKI ZX-6R, SUZUKI GSF600, YAMAHA FZS600).

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 VN 800 B10P CLASSIC.

Pass rate by registration year

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

Best year to buy used: 2006 (90.6% pass). Weakest: 2005 (88.4%).

88%90%91%2005: 88.4% pass (924 tests)2006: 90.6% pass (96 tests)20052006

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 VN 800 B10P CLASSIC FAQ

answers computed from the data above · terms in the glossary

Is the KAWASAKI VN 800 B10P CLASSIC reliable?

The KAWASAKI VN 800 B10P CLASSIC is more reliable than average for its class: 88.6% of its 1,029 MOT tests (2005–2025) passed first time, against a class average of 84.9%. That ranks it #1400 of 5426 models.

What does a VN 800 B10P CLASSIC fail its MOT on most?

lamps and reflectors — 25% of all defects recorded against failed VN 800 B10P CLASSIC tests.

How many miles will a VN 800 B10P CLASSIC last?

The median VN 800 B10P CLASSIC shows 9,868 miles at test, and examples around 30k miles still pass 85.3% of the time — mileage alone rarely kills one.