Benelli 502 Custom vs Kawasaki ZX-6R

The Benelli 502 Custom passes its MOT first time more often than the Kawasaki ZX-6R: 91.5% vs 78.1%, a 13.4-point lead.

MOT reliability, side by side

first-time pass rate, outright fail rate and tests analysed · 2005–2025

Metric	Benelli 502 Custom	Kawasaki ZX-6R
First-time pass rate	91.5%	78.1%
Outright fail rate	4.0%	14.0%
Vs comparable bikes (age & mileage adjusted)	+1.9 pts	-5.8 pts
Engine size	500cc	599cc
Rank among all models	#567 of 5428	#3895 of 5428
Median miles at test	3,474	19,446
MOT tests analysed	224	173,956
Most common failure	lamps and reflectors	lighting and signalling

First-time outcomes on normal tests, 2005–2025. "Most common failure" is the component group with the most recorded defects on failed tests. Read pass rates against test counts: a smaller sample is noisier. Source: DVSA anonymised MOT results.

"Vs comparable bikes" is the first-time pass rate minus the rate expected for each bike's own mix of age, mileage and test class, in percentage points: positive means better than comparable bikes. How this works.

Pass rate by test year

first-time MOT pass rate in each calendar year both bikes were tested

Test year	Benelli 502 Custom	Kawasaki ZX-6R
2023	93.5%	79.8%
2024	93.4%	80.3%
2025	86.7%	81.1%

Each year mixes bikes of different ages, so a fleet that is getting older tends to slip.

BENELLI 502 CUSTOM 91.5% pass · 224 tests KAWASAKI ZX-6R 78.1% pass · 174k tests

See each bike's full report (trend, mileage curve, failure breakdown and rivals) on its own page.