Norton 18 vs Kawasaki ZX-6R

The Norton 18 passes its MOT first time more often than the Kawasaki ZX-6R: 95.1% vs 78.1%, a 17.0-point lead.

MOT reliability, side by side

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

Metric	Norton 18	Kawasaki ZX-6R
First-time pass rate	95.1%	78.1%
Outright fail rate	1.3%	14.0%
Engine size	497cc	599cc
Rank among all models	#67 of 5428	#3895 of 5428
Median miles at test	10,096	19,446
MOT tests analysed	387	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.

Pass rate by test year

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

Test year	Norton 18	Kawasaki ZX-6R
2006	95.3%	82.8%
2007	98.0%	81.0%
2008	95.6%	78.4%
2009	93.2%	76.6%
2010	96.0%	76.3%
2011	93.5%	76.6%
2012	91.2%	75.4%

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	Norton 18	Kawasaki ZX-6R
0k-10k miles	95.4%	86.1%
10k-20k miles	97.3%	80.6%

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

NORTON 18 95.1% pass · 387 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.