Kawasaki ER 500 C3
Real ownership data from 52 UK ER 500 C3 motorcycles — mileage, MOT pass rates and the faults that actually come up, taken from DVSA test records rather than opinion.
Most common ER 500 C3 problems
Ranked by how often each fault appears in this model's MOT history.
| Fault | Severity | Share of faults |
|---|---|---|
| Lights and indicators | major | 11% |
| Brakes | fail | 7.8% |
| Suspension | fail | 5.2% |
| Tyres | fail | 5.2% |
| Chain and sprockets | fail | 4.5% |
| Brake discs and pads | fail | 3.9% |
| Steering and head bearings | fail | 3.2% |
| Other | fail | 2% |
Advisories (wear noted but not failed) are excluded above; the most common is brakes.
ER 500 C3 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2005 | 13 | 24,538 mi | 1,312 | 87.37% |
| 2004 | 9 | 28,196 mi | 15,807 | 86.36% |
| 2003 | 28 | 18,226 mi | 1,049 | 83.72% |
ER 500 C3 questions, answered with data
What are the most common problems with the Kawasaki ER 500 C3?
Across 52 UK examples, the most frequently recorded MOT faults are lights and indicators (11% of all recorded faults), brakes (7.8% of all recorded faults), suspension (5.2% of all recorded faults).
What is average mileage for a Kawasaki ER 500 C3?
The median Kawasaki ER 500 C3 in the UK has covered 20,148 miles, and typically rides about 1,303 miles a year. Half of all examples fall between 14,386 and 31,625 miles.
Is the Kawasaki ER 500 C3 reliable?
85.1% of Kawasaki ER 500 C3 MOT tests are passed first time, with an average of 0.55 faults recorded per test. This is measured from DVSA MOT records, not owner opinion.
Based on DVSA MOT test records for 52 Kawasaki ER 500 C3 motorcycles registered in Great Britain and Northern Ireland. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.