Kawasaki ER 500 C5P
Real ownership data from 425 UK ER 500 C5P motorcycles — mileage, MOT pass rates and the faults that actually come up, taken from DVSA test records rather than opinion.
Most common ER 500 C5P problems
Ranked by how often each fault appears in this model's MOT history.
| Fault | Severity | Share of faults |
|---|---|---|
| Chain and sprockets | fail | 10.7% |
| Lights and indicators | fail | 7.7% |
| Steering and head bearings | dangerous | 7% |
| Brakes | major | 5.6% |
| Brake discs and pads | dangerous | 5.3% |
| Other | dangerous | 5.3% |
| Tyres | dangerous | 5.2% |
| Suspension | major | 3.7% |
Advisories (wear noted but not failed) are excluded above; the most common is steering and head bearings.
ER 500 C5P 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 | 35,788 mi | 1,589 | 89.47% |
| 2007 | 90 | 28,856 mi | 1,464 | 84.46% |
| 2006 | 179 | 24,848 mi | 1,480 | 82.46% |
| 2005 | 146 | 29,731 mi | 1,768 | 79.62% |
| 2004 | 5 | 18,561 mi | 1,346 | 82.05% |
ER 500 C5P questions, answered with data
What are the most common problems with the Kawasaki ER 500 C5P?
Across 425 UK examples, the most frequently recorded MOT faults are chain and sprockets (10.7% of all recorded faults), lights and indicators (7.7% of all recorded faults), steering and head bearings (7% of all recorded faults).
What is average mileage for a Kawasaki ER 500 C5P?
The median Kawasaki ER 500 C5P in the UK has covered 27,452 miles, and typically rides about 1,568 miles a year. Half of all examples fall between 15,347 and 38,181 miles.
Is the Kawasaki ER 500 C5P reliable?
81.94% of Kawasaki ER 500 C5P MOT tests are passed first time, with an average of 0.28 faults recorded per test. This is measured from DVSA MOT records, not owner opinion.
Based on DVSA MOT test records for 425 Kawasaki ER 500 C5P motorcycles registered in Great Britain and Northern Ireland. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.