Kawasaki KZ1000
Real ownership data from 225 UK KZ1000 motorcycles — mileage, MOT pass rates and the faults that actually come up, taken from DVSA test records rather than opinion.
Most common KZ1000 problems
Ranked by how often each fault appears in this model's MOT history.
| Fault | Severity | Share of faults |
|---|---|---|
| Lights and indicators | major | 14.4% |
| Brakes | major | 7.3% |
| Other | dangerous | 3.8% |
| Tyres | fail | 3.8% |
| Electrical | fail | 1.7% |
| Suspension | fail | 1.3% |
| Brake discs and pads | fail | 1.1% |
| Steering and head bearings | fail | 1.1% |
Advisories (wear noted but not failed) are excluded above; the most common is chain and sprockets.
KZ1000 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 | 5 | 24,651 mi | 642 | 85.71% |
| 2013 | 5 | 21,818 mi | 282 | 92.86% |
| 1999 | 5 | 36,628 mi | 166 | 92.31% |
| 1998 | 14 | 28,754 mi | 312 | 88.89% |
| 1997 | 12 | 28,765 mi | 300 | 83.33% |
| 1996 | 15 | 22,355 mi | 394 | 91.09% |
| 1995 | 8 | 30,870 mi | 150 | 85.71% |
| 1993 | 9 | 36,909 mi | 64 | 94.55% |
| 1991 | 6 | 36,002 mi | 235 | 95.24% |
| 1989 | 5 | 67,222 mi | 329 | 84.21% |
| 1982 | 15 | 25,438 mi | 402 | 78.72% |
| 1981 | 14 | 20,597 mi | 182 | 87.8% |
| 1980 | 12 | 24,098 mi | 496 | 75% |
| 1979 | 11 | 28,709 mi | 489 | 90.63% |
| 1978 | 21 | 23,904 mi | 184 | 84.78% |
| 1977 | 16 | 25,570 mi | 235 | 81.25% |
KZ1000 questions, answered with data
What are the most common problems with the Kawasaki KZ1000?
Across 225 UK examples, the most frequently recorded MOT faults are lights and indicators (14.4% of all recorded faults), brakes (7.3% of all recorded faults), other (3.8% of all recorded faults).
What is average mileage for a Kawasaki KZ1000?
The median Kawasaki KZ1000 in the UK has covered 26,910 miles, and typically rides about 235 miles a year. Half of all examples fall between 18,040 and 37,363 miles.
Is the Kawasaki KZ1000 reliable?
87.07% of Kawasaki KZ1000 MOT tests are passed first time, with an average of 0.72 faults recorded per test. This is measured from DVSA MOT records, not owner opinion.
Based on DVSA MOT test records for 225 Kawasaki KZ1000 motorcycles registered in Great Britain and Northern Ireland. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.