Data as of: DVSA MOT results to 2025
Kawasaki Zephyr 550: MOT pass rate by registration year
Which Zephyr 550 years pass first time, and which fall short of the model's 77.9% average, from 7,405 DVSA tests.
Pass rate by registration year
Highest pass rate: 1999 (90.5% of 169 tests). Lowest: 2000 (71.4% of 63). Years more than two points below the model average: 1990, 1992, 2000.
| Registered | Tests | First-time pass | vs model (77.9%) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 89 | 73.0% | -4.9 pp |
| 1991 | 1,874 | 77.7% | -0.2 pp |
| 1992 | 1,260 | 75.6% | -2.3 pp |
| 1993 | 1,216 | 76.3% | -1.6 pp |
| 1994 | 789 | 76.6% | -1.3 pp |
| 1995 | 581 | 80.6% | +2.7 pp |
| 1996 | 508 | 78.5% | +0.6 pp |
| 1997 | 496 | 80.2% | +2.3 pp |
| 1998 | 340 | 83.5% | +5.6 pp |
| 1999 | 169 | 90.5% | +12.6 pp |
| 2000 | 63 | 71.4% | -6.5 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 Zephyr 550 years have the lowest MOT pass rate?
- 1990, 1992, 2000 registered examples pass first time less often than the Kawasaki Zephyr 550 overall (77.9%); the 2000 cohort is lowest at 71.4% from 63 tests.
- Which Zephyr 550 year has the highest MOT pass rate?
- 1999, at 90.5% of 169 first tests (2005–2025). Years more than two points above the model average: 1995, 1997, 1998, 1999.
- How much does the Zephyr 550 pass rate vary by year?
- 19.1 percentage points between the highest (1999, 90.5%) and lowest (2000, 71.4%) 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 Zephyr 550 reliability, failures and mileage · ranked #3931 of 5428 models· other Kawasaki models: ZX-6R, ZX-9R, ZZR600, ER5, ZZ-R1100, ZX