Kawasaki KH500
Real ownership data from 196 UK KH500 motorcycles — mileage, MOT pass rates and the faults that actually come up, taken from DVSA test records rather than opinion.
Most common KH500 problems
Ranked by how often each fault appears in this model's MOT history.
| Fault | Severity | Share of faults |
|---|---|---|
| Lights and indicators | major | 15.2% |
| Brakes | major | 7.5% |
| Other | fail | 4.8% |
| Steering and head bearings | fail | 3.8% |
| Tyres | fail | 3.2% |
| Suspension | fail | 2.8% |
| Chain and sprockets | fail | 2% |
| Wheels | fail | 1.5% |
Advisories (wear noted but not failed) are excluded above; the most common is suspension.
KH500 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 7 | 8,684 mi | 48 | 81.82% |
| 2014 | 5 | 8,187 mi | 15 | 63.64% |
| 2011 | 5 | 10,826 mi | 248 | 86.21% |
| 1999 | 5 | 15,266 mi | 194 | 87.1% |
| 1976 | 62 | 17,011 mi | 180 | 87.46% |
| 1975 | 25 | 11,933 mi | 186 | 92.5% |
| 1974 | 9 | 16,184 mi | 238 | 91.07% |
| 1973 | 7 | 17,609 mi | 405 | 90.91% |
| 1972 | 5 | 17,101 mi | 108 | 95.24% |
| 1971 | 7 | 13,795 mi | 26 | 86.67% |
KH500 questions, answered with data
What are the most common problems with the Kawasaki KH500?
Across 196 UK examples, the most frequently recorded MOT faults are lights and indicators (15.2% of all recorded faults), brakes (7.5% of all recorded faults), other (4.8% of all recorded faults).
What is average mileage for a Kawasaki KH500?
The median Kawasaki KH500 in the UK has covered 13,151 miles, and typically rides about 164 miles a year. Half of all examples fall between 7,620 and 20,335 miles.
Is the Kawasaki KH500 reliable?
89.31% of Kawasaki KH500 MOT tests are passed first time, with an average of 0.45 faults recorded per test. This is measured from DVSA MOT records, not owner opinion.
Based on DVSA MOT test records for 196 Kawasaki KH500 motorcycles registered in Great Britain and Northern Ireland. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.