KTM 1290 Superduke GT 20 vs Kawasaki Z1000

The KTM 1290 Superduke GT 20 passes its MOT first time more often than the Kawasaki Z1000: 93.0% vs 84.5%, a 8.5-point lead.

MOT reliability, side by side

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

Metric	KTM 1290 Superduke GT 20	Kawasaki Z1000
First-time pass rate	93.0%	84.5%
Outright fail rate	3.3%	7.5%
Vs comparable bikes (age & mileage adjusted)	+5.2 pts	-0.5 pts
Engine size	1,301cc	953cc
Rank among all models	#298 of 5428	#2613 of 5428
Median miles at test	9,928	17,154
MOT tests analysed	455	22,743
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	KTM 1290 Superduke GT 20	Kawasaki Z1000
2023	90.9%	86.5%
2024	93.9%	85.1%
2025	93.7%	85.9%

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

Pass rate by mileage

first-time MOT pass rate by miles on the clock at test

Mileage	KTM 1290 Superduke GT 20	Kawasaki Z1000
0k-10k miles	93.5%	87.2%
10k-20k miles	92.1%	85.7%
20k-30k miles	94.7%	82.5%

Bands with fewer than 30 tests for either bike are left out.

KTM 1290 SUPERDUKE GT 20 93.0% pass · 455 tests KAWASAKI Z1000 84.5% pass · 22.7k tests

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