Kawasaki GPZ550
Real ownership data from 671 UK GPZ550 motorcycles — mileage, MOT pass rates and the faults that actually come up, taken from DVSA test records rather than opinion.
Most common GPZ550 problems
Ranked by how often each fault appears in this model's MOT history.
| Fault | Severity | Share of faults |
|---|---|---|
| Brake discs and pads | major | 10.8% |
| Other | fail | 8.9% |
| Brakes | dangerous | 8.4% |
| Controls and cables | fail | 5.6% |
| Lights and indicators | user entered | 5.1% |
| Electrical | fail | 4.6% |
| Exhaust and emissions | fail | 3.9% |
| Chain and sprockets | user entered | 3.1% |
Advisories (wear noted but not failed) are excluded above; the most common is other.
GPZ550 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 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1999 | 6 | 37,058 mi | 1,533 | 87.88% |
| 1998 | 6 | 34,352 mi | 324 | 75.76% |
| 1997 | 10 | 32,543 mi | 641 | 77.5% |
| 1991 | 19 | 33,316 mi | 761 | 82.56% |
| 1990 | 61 | 34,228 mi | 528 | 75.82% |
| 1989 | 51 | 37,055 mi | 526 | 75.4% |
| 1988 | 41 | 34,350 mi | 790 | 74.43% |
| 1987 | 51 | 36,529 mi | 362 | 78.26% |
| 1986 | 67 | 36,774 mi | 452 | 78.01% |
| 1985 | 89 | 36,999 mi | 303 | 75.45% |
| 1984 | 122 | 38,037 mi | 495 | 69.54% |
| 1983 | 31 | 32,082 mi | 1,264 | 77.6% |
| 1982 | 51 | 39,604 mi | 926 | 72.34% |
| 1981 | 40 | 33,252 mi | 424 | 86.41% |
| 1980 | 7 | 27,396 mi | 127 | 68.75% |
GPZ550 questions, answered with data
What are the most common problems with the Kawasaki GPZ550?
Across 671 UK examples, the most frequently recorded MOT faults are brake discs and pads (10.8% of all recorded faults), other (8.9% of all recorded faults), brakes (8.4% of all recorded faults).
What is average mileage for a Kawasaki GPZ550?
The median Kawasaki GPZ550 in the UK has covered 35,923 miles, and typically rides about 474 miles a year. Half of all examples fall between 24,821 and 46,936 miles.
Is the Kawasaki GPZ550 reliable?
76.07% of Kawasaki GPZ550 MOT tests are passed first time, with an average of 0.27 faults recorded per test. This is measured from DVSA MOT records, not owner opinion.
Based on DVSA MOT test records for 671 Kawasaki GPZ550 motorcycles registered in Great Britain and Northern Ireland. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.