Data as of: DVSA MOT results to 2025
Kawasaki VN1500: MOT pass rate by registration year
Which VN1500 years pass first time, and which fall short of the model's 85.5% average, from 9,190 DVSA tests.
Pass rate by registration year
Highest pass rate: 2003 (89.8% of 998 tests). Lowest: 1988 (79.7% of 217). Years more than two points below the model average: 1988, 1989, 1990, 1994, 1997, 1998.
| Registered | Tests | First-time pass | vs model (85.5%) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1988 | 217 | 79.7% | -5.8 pp |
| 1989 | 156 | 81.4% | -4.1 pp |
| 1990 | 74 | 79.7% | -5.8 pp |
| 1992 | 68 | 85.3% | -0.2 pp |
| 1993 | 459 | 85.4% | -0.1 pp |
| 1994 | 324 | 82.7% | -2.8 pp |
| 1995 | 308 | 85.1% | -0.4 pp |
| 1996 | 557 | 85.3% | -0.2 pp |
| 1997 | 566 | 83.0% | -2.5 pp |
| 1998 | 233 | 82.4% | -3.1 pp |
| 1999 | 440 | 83.6% | -1.9 pp |
| 2000 | 759 | 87.6% | +2.1 pp |
| 2001 | 1,517 | 85.0% | -0.5 pp |
| 2002 | 1,100 | 87.0% | +1.5 pp |
| 2003 | 998 | 89.8% | +4.3 pp |
| 2004 | 945 | 85.8% | +0.3 pp |
| 2005 | 279 | 87.1% | +1.6 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 VN1500 years have the lowest MOT pass rate?
- 1988, 1989, 1990, 1994, 1997, 1998 registered examples pass first time less often than the Kawasaki VN1500 overall (85.5%); the 1988 cohort is lowest at 79.7% from 217 tests.
- Which VN1500 year has the highest MOT pass rate?
- 2003, at 89.8% of 998 first tests (2005–2025). Years more than two points above the model average: 2000, 2003.
- How much does the VN1500 pass rate vary by year?
- 10.1 percentage points between the highest (2003, 89.8%) and lowest (1988, 79.7%) 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 VN1500 reliability, failures and mileage · ranked #2363 of 5428 models· other Kawasaki models: ZX-6R, ZX-9R, ZZR600, ER5, ZZ-R1100, ZX