Kawasaki KLR600
Real ownership data from 213 UK KLR600 motorcycles — mileage, MOT pass rates and the faults that actually come up, taken from DVSA test records rather than opinion.
Most common KLR600 problems
Ranked by how often each fault appears in this model's MOT history.
| Fault | Severity | Share of faults |
|---|---|---|
| Lights and indicators | major | 15.8% |
| Other | fail | 6.1% |
| Brakes | fail | 5.4% |
| Tyres | fail | 2.6% |
| Chain and sprockets | fail | 2.3% |
| Steering and head bearings | fail | 2.2% |
| Suspension | fail | 2.1% |
| Controls and cables | fail | 1.8% |
Advisories (wear noted but not failed) are excluded above; the most common is suspension.
KLR600 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 | 5 | 18,481 mi | 1,160 | 93.1% |
| 2003 | 7 | 30,384 mi | 874 | 85.94% |
| 2002 | 8 | 19,893 mi | 192 | 71.43% |
| 1999 | 11 | 22,549 mi | 1,526 | 68.89% |
| 1997 | 5 | 24,655 mi | 1,631 | 76.47% |
| 1990 | 11 | 18,192 mi | 229 | 80.95% |
| 1989 | 11 | 25,613 mi | 456 | 78.89% |
| 1988 | 12 | 26,392 mi | 438 | 79.45% |
| 1987 | 8 | 30,662 mi | 320 | 72.73% |
| 1986 | 31 | 28,748 mi | 300 | 79.51% |
| 1985 | 43 | 28,044 mi | 236 | 80% |
| 1984 | 21 | 26,446 mi | 210 | 79.57% |
KLR600 questions, answered with data
What are the most common problems with the Kawasaki KLR600?
Across 213 UK examples, the most frequently recorded MOT faults are lights and indicators (15.8% of all recorded faults), other (6.1% of all recorded faults), brakes (5.4% of all recorded faults).
What is average mileage for a Kawasaki KLR600?
The median Kawasaki KLR600 in the UK has covered 26,310 miles, and typically rides about 390 miles a year. Half of all examples fall between 18,342 and 34,374 miles.
Is the Kawasaki KLR600 reliable?
78.11% of Kawasaki KLR600 MOT tests are passed first time, with an average of 1.16 faults recorded per test. This is measured from DVSA MOT records, not owner opinion.
Based on DVSA MOT test records for 213 Kawasaki KLR600 motorcycles registered in Great Britain and Northern Ireland. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.