Panther M120 vs Kawasaki ZX-6R

The Panther M120 passes its MOT first time more often than the Kawasaki ZX-6R: 94.8% vs 78.1%, a 16.7-point lead.

MOT reliability, side by side

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

Metric	Panther M120	Kawasaki ZX-6R
First-time pass rate	94.8%	78.1%
Outright fail rate	2.0%	14.0%
Engine size	650cc	599cc
Rank among all models	#93 of 5428	#3895 of 5428
Median miles at test	21,895	19,446
MOT tests analysed	346	173,956
Most common failure	lighting and signalling	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	Panther M120	Kawasaki ZX-6R
2006	97.1%	82.8%
2011	90.3%	76.6%
2013	100.0%	75.5%
2015	96.7%	76.7%

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	Panther M120	Kawasaki ZX-6R
0k-10k miles	97.5%	86.1%
10k-20k miles	90.7%	80.6%
20k-30k miles	94.7%	75.4%
30k-40k miles	91.3%	71.8%
40k-50k miles	94.0%	69.5%

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

PANTHER M120 94.8% pass · 346 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.