Kawasaki KL650
Real ownership data from 470 UK KL650 motorcycles — mileage, MOT pass rates and the faults that actually come up, taken from DVSA test records rather than opinion.
Most common KL650 problems
Ranked by how often each fault appears in this model's MOT history.
| Fault | Severity | Share of faults |
|---|---|---|
| Lights and indicators | major | 13.4% |
| Brakes | major | 7.3% |
| Other | fail | 4% |
| Suspension | major | 2.7% |
| Tyres | dangerous | 2.7% |
| Brake discs and pads | dangerous | 2.5% |
| Chain and sprockets | fail | 1.7% |
| Wheels | fail | 1.3% |
Advisories (wear noted but not failed) are excluded above; the most common is brake discs and pads.
KL650 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2009 | 8 | 19,745 mi | 1,052 | 92.59% |
| 2008 | 7 | 35,117 mi | 877 | 89.87% |
| 2007 | 11 | 23,924 mi | 1,704 | 75.56% |
| 2002 | 18 | 17,244 mi | 849 | 88.57% |
| 2001 | 8 | 20,458 mi | 722 | 90.67% |
| 2000 | 12 | 24,950 mi | 663 | 87.5% |
| 1999 | 17 | 21,853 mi | 732 | 72.79% |
| 1998 | 5 | 22,844 mi | 398 | 75% |
| 1997 | 10 | 29,694 mi | 944 | 74.74% |
| 1996 | 7 | 19,540 mi | 511 | 63.64% |
| 1992 | 10 | 27,149 mi | 373 | 72.34% |
| 1991 | 22 | 28,374 mi | 752 | 72.6% |
| 1990 | 56 | 33,431 mi | 568 | 78.57% |
| 1989 | 52 | 28,598 mi | 607 | 75.42% |
| 1988 | 167 | 31,230 mi | 426 | 76.24% |
| 1987 | 28 | 25,972 mi | 547 | 75% |
KL650 questions, answered with data
What are the most common problems with the Kawasaki KL650?
Across 470 UK examples, the most frequently recorded MOT faults are lights and indicators (13.4% of all recorded faults), brakes (7.3% of all recorded faults), other (4% of all recorded faults).
What is average mileage for a Kawasaki KL650?
The median Kawasaki KL650 in the UK has covered 27,258 miles, and typically rides about 670 miles a year. Half of all examples fall between 17,704 and 38,920 miles.
Is the Kawasaki KL650 reliable?
78.67% of Kawasaki KL650 MOT tests are passed first time, with an average of 1.03 faults recorded per test. This is measured from DVSA MOT records, not owner opinion.
Based on DVSA MOT test records for 470 Kawasaki KL650 motorcycles registered in Great Britain and Northern Ireland. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.