Kawasaki Ninja 500 / GPZ500
Real ownership data from 2,334 UK Ninja 500 / GPZ500 motorcycles — mileage, MOT pass rates and the faults that actually come up, taken from DVSA test records rather than opinion.
Most common Ninja 500 / GPZ500 problems
Ranked by how often each fault appears in this model's MOT history.
| Fault | Severity | Share of faults |
|---|---|---|
| Brakes | fail | 15.2% |
| Suspension | fail | 11.6% |
| Tyres | fail | 10% |
| Chain and sprockets | major | 9% |
| Steering and head bearings | fail | 8.9% |
| Lights and indicators | fail | 8.9% |
| Brake discs and pads | dangerous | 6.7% |
| Other | fail | 6.2% |
Advisories (wear noted but not failed) are excluded above; the most common is other.
Ninja 500 / GPZ500 mileage and reliability by year
Use this to judge whether a specific bike is high or low mileage for its age.
| YearYear | MedianMedian mileage | Mi/yrMiles/year | MOT passFirst-time pass | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2005 | 7 | 10,322 mi | 770 | 76.92% |
| 2004 | 54 | 17,108 mi | 1,089 | 80.99% |
| 2003 | 100 | 21,043 mi | 1,244 | 80.04% |
| 2002 | 160 | 21,929 mi | 1,134 | 80.48% |
| 2001 | 172 | 22,211 mi | 1,146 | 79.09% |
| 2000 | 205 | 25,382 mi | 1,196 | 77.79% |
| 1999 | 288 | 24,290 mi | 1,038 | 75.13% |
| 1998 | 261 | 24,222 mi | 1,138 | 78.24% |
| 1997 | 212 | 27,397 mi | 1,306 | 76.61% |
| 1996 | 112 | 26,901 mi | 925 | 78% |
| 1995 | 12 | 38,406 mi | 758 | 70.83% |
| 1994 | 44 | 28,504 mi | 612 | 66.52% |
| 1993 | 186 | 29,180 mi | 789 | 75.47% |
| 1992 | 63 | 30,001 mi | 734 | 79.04% |
| 1991 | 142 | 30,652 mi | 875 | 76.52% |
| 1990 | 63 | 33,889 mi | 876 | 75.66% |
| 1989 | 32 | 38,671 mi | 732 | 72.92% |
| 1988 | 136 | 36,246 mi | 674 | 72.14% |
| 1987 | 76 | 37,609 mi | 405 | 74.1% |
Ninja 500 / GPZ500 questions, answered with data
What are the most common problems with the Kawasaki Ninja 500 / GPZ500?
Across 2,334 UK examples, the most frequently recorded MOT faults are brakes (15.2% of all recorded faults), suspension (11.6% of all recorded faults), tyres (10% of all recorded faults).
What is average mileage for a Kawasaki Ninja 500 / GPZ500?
The median Kawasaki Ninja 500 / GPZ500 in the UK has covered 27,136 miles, and typically rides about 1,035 miles a year. Half of all examples fall between 17,694 and 37,304 miles.
Is the Kawasaki Ninja 500 / GPZ500 reliable?
77.3% of Kawasaki Ninja 500 / GPZ500 MOT tests are passed first time, with an average of 0.49 faults recorded per test. This is measured from DVSA MOT records, not owner opinion.
Based on DVSA MOT test records for 2,334 Kawasaki Ninja 500 / GPZ500 motorcycles registered in Great Britain and Northern Ireland. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.