Kawasaki H1 500
Real ownership data from 61 UK H1 500 motorcycles — mileage, MOT pass rates and the faults that actually come up, taken from DVSA test records rather than opinion.
Most common H1 500 problems
Ranked by how often each fault appears in this model's MOT history.
| Fault | Severity | Share of faults |
|---|---|---|
| Lights and indicators | major | 10.6% |
| Other | fail | 5.3% |
| Controls and cables | fail | 5.3% |
| Suspension | major | 4.3% |
| Steering and head bearings | major | 4.3% |
| Fuel system | user entered | 4.3% |
| Brakes | major | 4.3% |
| Fluid leaks | prs | 3.2% |
Advisories (wear noted but not failed) are excluded above; the most common is suspension.
H1 500 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1974 | 6 | 10,303 mi | 180 | 90% |
| 1973 | 6 | 9,943 mi | 396 | 95.83% |
| 1972 | 5 | 21,631 mi | 1,610 | 100% |
H1 500 questions, answered with data
What are the most common problems with the Kawasaki H1 500?
Across 61 UK examples, the most frequently recorded MOT faults are lights and indicators (10.6% of all recorded faults), other (5.3% of all recorded faults), controls and cables (5.3% of all recorded faults).
What is average mileage for a Kawasaki H1 500?
The median Kawasaki H1 500 in the UK has covered 12,742 miles, and typically rides about 83 miles a year. Half of all examples fall between 6,265 and 18,657 miles.
Is the Kawasaki H1 500 reliable?
87.88% of Kawasaki H1 500 MOT tests are passed first time, with an average of 0.44 faults recorded per test. This is measured from DVSA MOT records, not owner opinion.
Based on DVSA MOT test records for 61 Kawasaki H1 500 motorcycles registered in Great Britain and Northern Ireland. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.