BIKERELIABILITY Reg check
League table/ Niu N1S/vs Kawasaki ZX-6R
Head-to-head · 2005–2025

Data as of: DVSA MOT results to 2025

Niu N1S vs Kawasaki ZX-6R

The Niu N1S passes its MOT first time more often than the Kawasaki ZX-6R: 84.8% vs 78.1%, a 6.7-point lead.

MOT reliability, side by side

first-time pass rate, outright fail rate and tests analysed · 2005–2025
Metric Niu N1S Kawasaki ZX-6R
First-time pass rate 84.8% 78.1%
Outright fail rate 14.0% 14.0%
Vs comparable bikes (age & mileage adjusted) +7.0 pts -5.8 pts
Engine size n/a 599cc
Rank among all models #2543 of 5428 #3895 of 5428
Median miles at test 3,002 19,446
MOT tests analysed 250 173,956
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 test year

first-time MOT pass rate in each calendar year both bikes were tested
Test year Niu N1S Kawasaki ZX-6R
2022 88.6% 79.4%
2023 83.9% 79.8%
2024 89.7% 80.3%
2025 80.2% 81.1%

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

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