Kawasaki KZ
Real ownership data from 90 UK KZ motorcycles — mileage, MOT pass rates and the faults that actually come up, taken from DVSA test records rather than opinion.
Most common KZ problems
Ranked by how often each fault appears in this model's MOT history.
| Fault | Severity | Share of faults |
|---|---|---|
| Lights and indicators | major | 16% |
| Brakes | major | 11.1% |
| Other | fail | 5.6% |
| Suspension | fail | 3% |
| Tyres | dangerous | 2.1% |
| Electrical | fail | 1.6% |
| Fuel system | user entered | 1.2% |
| Brake discs and pads | fail | 1.2% |
Advisories (wear noted but not failed) are excluded above; the most common is suspension.
KZ 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1982 | 7 | 26,647 mi | 1,986 | 62.96% |
| 1981 | 12 | 25,094 mi | 166 | 84.62% |
| 1980 | 11 | 32,530 mi | 315 | 67.86% |
| 1979 | 6 | 48,460 mi | 685 | 64.29% |
| 1978 | 6 | 18,822 mi | 88 | 80% |
KZ questions, answered with data
What are the most common problems with the Kawasaki KZ?
Across 90 UK examples, the most frequently recorded MOT faults are lights and indicators (16% of all recorded faults), brakes (11.1% of all recorded faults), other (5.6% of all recorded faults).
What is average mileage for a Kawasaki KZ?
The median Kawasaki KZ in the UK has covered 23,442 miles, and typically rides about 269 miles a year. Half of all examples fall between 11,860 and 32,871 miles.
Is the Kawasaki KZ reliable?
82.95% of Kawasaki KZ MOT tests are passed first time, with an average of 0.8 faults recorded per test. This is measured from DVSA MOT records, not owner opinion.
Based on DVSA MOT test records for 90 Kawasaki KZ motorcycles registered in Great Britain and Northern Ireland. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.