Kawasaki GPZ500S
Real ownership data from 3,729 UK GPZ500S motorcycles — mileage, MOT pass rates and the faults that actually come up, taken from DVSA test records rather than opinion.
Most common GPZ500S problems
Ranked by how often each fault appears in this model's MOT history.
| Fault | Severity | Share of faults |
|---|---|---|
| Electrical | major | 37.8% |
| Brake discs and pads | user entered | 12.4% |
| Steering and head bearings | major | 11.5% |
| Frame and structure | fail | 5.5% |
| Fork seals | user entered | 5.1% |
| Fluid leaks | fail | 5% |
| Fuel system | fail | 2.8% |
| Wheels | dangerous | 1.3% |
Advisories (wear noted but not failed) are excluded above; the most common is brake discs and pads.
GPZ500S 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 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 45 | — | — | — |
| 2025 | 17 | — | — | — |
| 2024 | 7 | — | — | — |
| 2005 | 18 | 25,347 mi | 1,884 | 80.98% |
| 2004 | 43 | 20,891 mi | 996 | 84.22% |
| 2003 | 90 | 21,030 mi | 1,393 | 79.57% |
| 2002 | 145 | 21,043 mi | 1,033 | 80.3% |
| 2001 | 162 | 17,724 mi | 932 | 80.38% |
| 2000 | 216 | 21,610 mi | 984 | 77.65% |
| 1999 | 238 | 23,390 mi | 988 | 77.46% |
| 1998 | 242 | 24,417 mi | 1,060 | 75.4% |
| 1997 | 202 | 26,760 mi | 1,111 | 76.27% |
| 1996 | 367 | 27,866 mi | 915 | 74.79% |
| 1995 | 428 | 29,114 mi | 966 | 74.13% |
| 1994 | 325 | 31,693 mi | 980 | 73.69% |
| 1993 | 188 | 30,630 mi | 772 | 74.92% |
| 1992 | 195 | 30,122 mi | 547 | 76.79% |
| 1991 | 165 | 31,376 mi | 601 | 69.77% |
| 1990 | 244 | 32,740 mi | 697 | 74.71% |
| 1989 | 230 | 35,794 mi | 514 | 73.74% |
GPZ500S questions, answered with data
What are the most common problems with the Kawasaki GPZ500S?
Across 3,729 UK examples, the most frequently recorded MOT faults are electrical (37.8% of all recorded faults), brake discs and pads (12.4% of all recorded faults), steering and head bearings (11.5% of all recorded faults).
What is average mileage for a Kawasaki GPZ500S?
The median Kawasaki GPZ500S in the UK has covered 27,875 miles, and typically rides about 906 miles a year. Half of all examples fall between 18,670 and 37,919 miles.
Is the Kawasaki GPZ500S reliable?
76.01% of Kawasaki GPZ500S MOT tests are passed first time, with an average of 0.02 faults recorded per test. This is measured from DVSA MOT records, not owner opinion.
Based on DVSA MOT test records for 3,729 Kawasaki GPZ500S motorcycles registered in Great Britain and Northern Ireland. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.