Kawasaki KLR250
Real ownership data from 228 UK KLR250 motorcycles — mileage, MOT pass rates and the faults that actually come up, taken from DVSA test records rather than opinion.
Most common KLR250 problems
Ranked by how often each fault appears in this model's MOT history.
| Fault | Severity | Share of faults |
|---|---|---|
| Lights and indicators | major | 14.7% |
| Brakes | fail | 6.6% |
| Other | fail | 3.8% |
| Tyres | fail | 3.5% |
| Chain and sprockets | major | 3.4% |
| Suspension | major | 2.6% |
| Wheels | fail | 2.6% |
| Controls and cables | fail | 1.9% |
Advisories (wear noted but not failed) are excluded above; the most common is chain and sprockets.
KLR250 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2003 | 6 | 11,836 mi | 288 | 63.89% |
| 2001 | 10 | 9,534 mi | 378 | 75.64% |
| 2000 | 14 | 17,280 mi | 687 | 76.4% |
| 1999 | 14 | 10,085 mi | 200 | 77% |
| 1998 | 11 | 12,001 mi | 428 | 74.32% |
| 1997 | 7 | 15,992 mi | 546 | 86.36% |
| 1996 | 14 | 20,662 mi | 246 | 79.45% |
| 1995 | 22 | 16,634 mi | 274 | 80.53% |
| 1994 | 21 | 22,780 mi | 583 | 79.23% |
| 1993 | 12 | 15,232 mi | 119 | 75.34% |
| 1992 | 14 | 22,430 mi | 477 | 84.15% |
| 1991 | 13 | 18,739 mi | 109 | 77.27% |
| 1990 | 14 | 21,605 mi | 438 | 78.26% |
| 1989 | 11 | 20,460 mi | 302 | 73.02% |
| 1988 | 12 | 22,008 mi | 192 | 71.21% |
| 1987 | 7 | 11,997 mi | 98 | 81.25% |
KLR250 questions, answered with data
What are the most common problems with the Kawasaki KLR250?
Across 228 UK examples, the most frequently recorded MOT faults are lights and indicators (14.7% of all recorded faults), brakes (6.6% of all recorded faults), other (3.8% of all recorded faults).
What is average mileage for a Kawasaki KLR250?
The median Kawasaki KLR250 in the UK has covered 16,218 miles, and typically rides about 292 miles a year. Half of all examples fall between 8,963 and 24,510 miles.
Is the Kawasaki KLR250 reliable?
78.13% of Kawasaki KLR250 MOT tests are passed first time, with an average of 1.04 faults recorded per test. This is measured from DVSA MOT records, not owner opinion.
Based on DVSA MOT test records for 228 Kawasaki KLR250 motorcycles registered in Great Britain and Northern Ireland. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.