KTM 1290 Superduke GT 21 vs Kawasaki Z1000

The KTM 1290 Superduke GT 21 passes its MOT first time more often than the Kawasaki Z1000: 94.3% vs 84.5%, a 9.8-point lead.

MOT reliability, side by side

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

Metric	KTM 1290 Superduke GT 21	Kawasaki Z1000
First-time pass rate	94.3%	84.5%
Outright fail rate	1.9%	7.5%
Vs comparable bikes (age & mileage adjusted)	+6.1 pts	-0.5 pts
Engine size	1,301cc	953cc
Median miles at test	9,026	17,154
MOT tests analysed	157	22,743
Most common failure	brakes	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 mileage

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

Mileage	KTM 1290 Superduke GT 21	Kawasaki Z1000
0k-10k miles	93.5%	87.2%
10k-20k miles	96.6%	85.7%

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

KTM 1290 SUPERDUKE GT 21 94.3% pass · 157 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.