Data as of: DVSA MOT results to 2025
Kawasaki VN: MOT pass rate by registration year
Which VN years pass first time, and which fall short of the model's 86.6% average, from 5,014 DVSA tests.
Pass rate by registration year
Highest pass rate: 2003 (94.1% of 119 tests). Lowest: 2018 (75.7% of 74). Years more than two points below the model average: 1996, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2007, 2011, 2018.
| Registered | Tests | First-time pass | vs model (86.6%) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1995 | 117 | 88.0% | +1.4 pp |
| 1996 | 187 | 83.4% | -3.2 pp |
| 1998 | 56 | 85.7% | -0.9 pp |
| 1999 | 52 | 82.7% | -3.9 pp |
| 2000 | 55 | 83.6% | -3.0 pp |
| 2001 | 76 | 78.9% | -7.7 pp |
| 2002 | 110 | 81.8% | -4.8 pp |
| 2003 | 119 | 94.1% | +7.5 pp |
| 2004 | 52 | 86.5% | -0.1 pp |
| 2005 | 53 | 90.6% | +4.0 pp |
| 2006 | 144 | 89.6% | +3.0 pp |
| 2007 | 89 | 80.9% | -5.7 pp |
| 2008 | 144 | 88.2% | +1.6 pp |
| 2009 | 172 | 84.9% | -1.7 pp |
| 2010 | 106 | 90.6% | +4.0 pp |
| 2011 | 81 | 79.0% | -7.6 pp |
| 2013 | 143 | 88.8% | +2.2 pp |
| 2014 | 1,079 | 89.1% | +2.5 pp |
| 2015 | 518 | 85.7% | -0.9 pp |
| 2016 | 845 | 86.7% | +0.1 pp |
| 2017 | 522 | 87.9% | +1.3 pp |
| 2018 | 74 | 75.7% | -10.9 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 VN years have the lowest MOT pass rate?
- 1996, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2007, 2011, 2018 registered examples pass first time less often than the Kawasaki VN overall (86.6%); the 2018 cohort is lowest at 75.7% from 74 tests.
- Which VN year has the highest MOT pass rate?
- 2003, at 94.1% of 119 first tests (2005–2025). Years more than two points above the model average: 2003, 2005, 2006, 2010, 2013, 2014.
- How much does the VN pass rate vary by year?
- 18.4 percentage points between the highest (2003, 94.1%) and lowest (2018, 75.7%) 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 VN reliability, failures and mileage · ranked #2016 of 5428 models· other Kawasaki models: ZX-6R, ZX-9R, ZZR600, ER5, ZZ-R1100, ZX