Kawasaki ER500-C1
Real ownership data from 363 UK ER500-C1 motorcycles — mileage, MOT pass rates and the faults that actually come up, taken from DVSA test records rather than opinion.
Most common ER500-C1 problems
Ranked by how often each fault appears in this model's MOT history.
| Fault | Severity | Share of faults |
|---|---|---|
| Brakes | major | 12.2% |
| Suspension | major | 6.3% |
| Chain and sprockets | fail | 4.4% |
| Lights and indicators | major | 4.4% |
| Tyres | dangerous | 3.9% |
| Other | fail | 3.5% |
| Wheels | fail | 2.4% |
| Steering and head bearings | fail | 1.9% |
Advisories (wear noted but not failed) are excluded above; the most common is chain and sprockets.
ER500-C1 mileage and reliability by year
Use this to judge whether a specific bike is high or low mileage for its age.
| YearYear | MedianMedian mileage | Mi/yrMiles/year | MOT passFirst-time pass | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2005 | 8 | 26,686 mi | 1,789 | 88.89% |
| 2004 | 32 | 19,698 mi | 1,226 | 82.57% |
| 2003 | 47 | 24,939 mi | 2,000 | 89.36% |
| 2002 | 130 | 19,456 mi | 1,528 | 81.02% |
| 2001 | 146 | 20,825 mi | 1,752 | 80% |
ER500-C1 questions, answered with data
What are the most common problems with the Kawasaki ER500-C1?
Across 363 UK examples, the most frequently recorded MOT faults are brakes (12.2% of all recorded faults), suspension (6.3% of all recorded faults), chain and sprockets (4.4% of all recorded faults).
What is average mileage for a Kawasaki ER500-C1?
The median Kawasaki ER500-C1 in the UK has covered 21,162 miles, and typically rides about 1,646 miles a year. Half of all examples fall between 12,007 and 32,243 miles.
Is the Kawasaki ER500-C1 reliable?
82.69% of Kawasaki ER500-C1 MOT tests are passed first time, with an average of 0.44 faults recorded per test. This is measured from DVSA MOT records, not owner opinion.
Based on DVSA MOT test records for 363 Kawasaki ER500-C1 motorcycles registered in Great Britain and Northern Ireland. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.