Husqvarna SM450R vs Kawasaki ER5

The Husqvarna SM450R passes its MOT first time more often than the Kawasaki ER5: 81.4% vs 77.4%, a 4.0-point lead.

MOT reliability, side by side

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

Metric	Husqvarna SM450R	Kawasaki ER5
First-time pass rate	81.4%	77.4%
Outright fail rate	10.8%	14.2%
Vs comparable bikes (age & mileage adjusted)	-6.9 pts	-6.2 pts
Engine size	450cc	498cc
Rank among all models	#3291 of 5428	#3999 of 5428
Median miles at test	2,288	21,259
MOT tests analysed	361	53,115
Most common failure	lighting and signalling	brakes

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	Husqvarna SM450R	Kawasaki ER5
2008	81.8%	78.5%
2009	75.7%	77.3%
2010	80.0%	76.2%

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

HUSQVARNA SM450R 81.4% pass · 361 tests KAWASAKI ER5 77.4% pass · 53.1k tests

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