Kawasaki GPZ500S
Real ownership data from 3,650 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 | 25.9% |
| Fluid leaks | dangerous | 12.7% |
| Other | dangerous | 12.1% |
| Steering and head bearings | dangerous | 10.6% |
| Brake discs and pads | user entered | 8.4% |
| Frame and structure | major | 4.2% |
| Fork seals | user entered | 3.5% |
| Chain and sprockets | dangerous | 2.9% |
Advisories (wear noted but not failed) are excluded above; the most common is corrosion.
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 | 17 | — | — | — |
| 2025 | 11 | — | — | — |
| 2005 | 18 | 23,450 mi | 1,884 | 80.87% |
| 2004 | 42 | 19,974 mi | 984 | 84.89% |
| 2003 | 88 | 20,587 mi | 1,393 | 79.67% |
| 2002 | 144 | 21,038 mi | 1,035 | 80.39% |
| 2001 | 158 | 17,560 mi | 916 | 80.06% |
| 2000 | 211 | 21,660 mi | 975 | 77.19% |
| 1999 | 231 | 23,272 mi | 1,000 | 77.2% |
| 1998 | 238 | 24,287 mi | 1,060 | 75.35% |
| 1997 | 199 | 26,758 mi | 1,124 | 75.98% |
| 1996 | 366 | 27,873 mi | 915 | 74.83% |
| 1995 | 427 | 29,192 mi | 976 | 74.16% |
| 1994 | 325 | 31,366 mi | 980 | 73.65% |
| 1993 | 186 | 31,016 mi | 786 | 74.72% |
| 1992 | 193 | 30,130 mi | 562 | 76.67% |
| 1991 | 164 | 31,376 mi | 601 | 69.77% |
| 1990 | 243 | 32,634 mi | 698 | 74.35% |
| 1989 | 230 | 35,794 mi | 514 | 73.88% |
| 1988 | 82 | 37,654 mi | 628 | 71.52% |
GPZ500S questions, answered with data
What are the most common problems with the Kawasaki GPZ500S?
Across 3,650 UK examples, the most frequently recorded MOT faults are electrical (25.9% of all recorded faults), fluid leaks (12.7% of all recorded faults), other (12.1% of all recorded faults).
What is average mileage for a Kawasaki GPZ500S?
The median Kawasaki GPZ500S in the UK has covered 27,900 miles, and typically rides about 906 miles a year. Half of all examples fall between 18,674 and 37,890 miles.
Is the Kawasaki GPZ500S reliable?
75.88% of Kawasaki GPZ500S MOT tests are passed first time, with an average of 0.04 faults recorded per test. This is measured from DVSA MOT records, not owner opinion.
Based on DVSA MOT test records for 3,650 Kawasaki GPZ500S motorcycles registered in Great Britain and Northern Ireland. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.