BIKERELIABILITY
MOT DATA · GREAT BRITAIN · 2005–2025
League table/ KAWASAKI/ZX 1000 HBF ABS
Model report · 2005–2025

KAWASAKI ZX 1000 HBF ABS

1043cc Petrol Class 2
89.7%
first-time pass rate
4.8%
failed outright
15,223
median miles at test
1,645
MOT tests, 2005–2025

Pass rate over time

first-time pass rate by test year · 2014–2025

The ZX 1000 HBF ABS's first-time pass rate has fallen 2.0 points since 2014, 90.9% to 88.9%.

79%88%97%2014: 90.9% pass (165 tests)2015: 90.1% pass (192 tests)2016: 89.3% pass (177 tests)2017: 88.8% pass (170 tests)2018: 94.0% pass (133 tests)2019: 87.3% pass (118 tests)2020: 93.6% pass (109 tests)2021: 88.5% pass (130 tests)2022: 91.6% pass (131 tests)2023: 88.7% pass (124 tests)2024: 82.1% pass (95 tests)2025: 88.9% pass (99 tests)20142025

Pass rate by mileage

how the ZX 1000 HBF ABS's first-time pass rate falls with the odometer · class average 84.9%

A low-mileage ZX 1000 HBF ABS passes first time 91.9% of the time; by 40k that's 84.3%.

81%87%94%0k: 91.9% pass (455 tests)10k: 90.2% pass (625 tests)20k: 88.7% pass (363 tests)30k: 82.5% pass (114 tests)40k: 84.3% pass (51 tests)0k20k40k

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 ZX 1000 HBF ABS

failure defects by component group · advisories excluded
Component group Share of defects Defects % of defects vs all bikes
lamps and reflectors
30 26.3 0.9×
brakes
22 19.3 0.3×
tyres and wheels
15 13.2 0.4×
tyres
12 10.5 1.1×
lighting and signalling
12 10.5 0.2×
steering
9 7.9 1.2×
Identification of the vehicle
5 4.4 1.3×
structure and attachments
4 3.5 0.3×
suspension
3 2.6 0.2×
steering and suspension
2 1.8

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 ZX 1000 HBF ABS beats 3 of its 4 closest rivals (BMW R1200, BMW R1150, TRIUMPH SPRINT).

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 ZX 1000 HBF ABS.

Pass rate by registration year

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

Best year to buy used: 2012 (92.8% pass). Weakest: 2011 (89.4%).

89%91%94%2011: 89.4% pass (1,534 tests)2012: 92.8% pass (111 tests)20112012

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 ZX 1000 HBF ABS FAQ

answers computed from the data above · terms in the glossary

Is the KAWASAKI ZX 1000 HBF ABS reliable?

The KAWASAKI ZX 1000 HBF ABS is more reliable than average for its class: 89.7% of its 1,645 MOT tests (2005–2025) passed first time, against a class average of 84.9%. That ranks it #1047 of 5426 models.

What does a ZX 1000 HBF ABS fail its MOT on most?

lamps and reflectors — 26% of all defects recorded against failed ZX 1000 HBF ABS tests.

How many miles will a ZX 1000 HBF ABS last?

The median ZX 1000 HBF ABS shows 15,223 miles at test, and examples around 40k miles still pass 84.3% of the time — mileage alone rarely kills one.