Kawasaki ER-5
Real ownership data from 6,117 UK ER-5 motorcycles — mileage, MOT pass rates and the faults that actually come up, taken from DVSA test records rather than opinion.
Most common ER-5 problems
Ranked by how often each fault appears in this model's MOT history.
| Fault | Severity | Share of faults |
|---|---|---|
| Lights and indicators | fail | 3.5% |
| Chain and sprockets | major | 3% |
| Steering and head bearings | fail | 2.4% |
| Tyres | dangerous | 2.4% |
| Other | dangerous | 2.3% |
| Brake discs and pads | fail | 1.2% |
| Controls and cables | major | 1.1% |
| Suspension | major | 1% |
Advisories (wear noted but not failed) are excluded above; the most common is brake discs and pads.
ER-5 mileage and reliability by year
Use this to judge whether a specific bike is high or low mileage for its age.
| Year | Examples | Median mileage | Miles/year | First-time pass |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | 5 | 8,561 mi | 724 | 95.35% |
| 2007 | 99 | 26,176 mi | 1,360 | 82.22% |
| 2006 | 152 | 26,189 mi | 1,478 | 80.92% |
| 2005 | 188 | 25,254 mi | 1,672 | 80.94% |
| 2004 | 177 | 25,607 mi | 1,700 | 78.4% |
| 2003 | 475 | 27,286 mi | 1,665 | 79.19% |
| 2002 | 707 | 27,268 mi | 1,402 | 79.55% |
| 2001 | 876 | 27,338 mi | 1,346 | 78.52% |
| 2000 | 846 | 28,525 mi | 1,318 | 78.43% |
| 1999 | 848 | 27,939 mi | 1,157 | 76.86% |
| 1998 | 835 | 29,802 mi | 1,200 | 76.75% |
| 1997 | 839 | 30,244 mi | 1,081 | 76.56% |
| 1996 | 60 | 32,126 mi | 1,221 | 74.3% |
ER-5 questions, answered with data
What are the most common problems with the Kawasaki ER-5?
Across 6,117 UK examples, the most frequently recorded MOT faults are lights and indicators (3.5% of all recorded faults), chain and sprockets (3% of all recorded faults), steering and head bearings (2.4% of all recorded faults).
What is average mileage for a Kawasaki ER-5?
The median Kawasaki ER-5 in the UK has covered 28,276 miles, and typically rides about 1,323 miles a year. Half of all examples fall between 18,208 and 39,852 miles.
Is the Kawasaki ER-5 reliable?
78.2% of Kawasaki ER-5 MOT tests are passed first time, with an average of 1.13 faults recorded per test. This is measured from DVSA MOT records, not owner opinion.
Based on DVSA MOT test records for 6,117 Kawasaki ER-5 motorcycles registered in Great Britain and Northern Ireland. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.