Kawasaki VN
Real ownership data from 840 UK VN motorcycles — mileage, MOT pass rates and the faults that actually come up, taken from DVSA test records rather than opinion.
Most common VN problems
Ranked by how often each fault appears in this model's MOT history.
| Fault | Severity | Share of faults |
|---|---|---|
| Lights and indicators | fail | 10.5% |
| Brakes | dangerous | 3.4% |
| Other | fail | 2.1% |
| Brake discs and pads | dangerous | 2% |
| Tyres | major | 2% |
| Suspension | major | 1% |
| Steering and head bearings | dangerous | 0.9% |
| Electrical | major | 0.8% |
Advisories (wear noted but not failed) are excluded above; the most common is brake discs and pads.
VN 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | 22 | 9,522 mi | 644 | 79.41% |
| 2017 | 113 | 9,044 mi | 776 | 88.89% |
| 2016 | 163 | 11,762 mi | 984 | 86.28% |
| 2015 | 101 | 11,680 mi | 838 | 87.92% |
| 2014 | 172 | 13,063 mi | 1,140 | 88.97% |
| 2013 | 30 | 11,141 mi | 688 | 89.73% |
| 2012 | 8 | 23,872 mi | 839 | 86.79% |
| 2011 | 20 | 19,236 mi | 890 | 80% |
| 2010 | 16 | 20,580 mi | 1,397 | 89.83% |
| 2009 | 23 | 19,715 mi | 1,356 | 85.51% |
| 2008 | 19 | 15,392 mi | 1,075 | 88.24% |
| 2007 | 14 | 18,560 mi | 846 | 83.04% |
| 2006 | 19 | 18,652 mi | 1,544 | 89.51% |
| 2005 | 10 | 16,554 mi | 962 | 86.67% |
| 2003 | 9 | 18,086 mi | 902 | 93.08% |
| 2002 | 10 | 13,278 mi | 399 | 83.61% |
| 2001 | 7 | 17,016 mi | 660 | 81.25% |
| 2000 | 7 | 36,575 mi | 876 | 88.89% |
| 1999 | 5 | 28,768 mi | 1,243 | 81.82% |
| 1998 | 8 | 12,105 mi | 87 | 85.71% |
VN questions, answered with data
What are the most common problems with the Kawasaki VN?
Across 840 UK examples, the most frequently recorded MOT faults are lights and indicators (10.5% of all recorded faults), brakes (3.4% of all recorded faults), other (2.1% of all recorded faults).
What is average mileage for a Kawasaki VN?
The median Kawasaki VN in the UK has covered 13,006 miles, and typically rides about 894 miles a year. Half of all examples fall between 7,368 and 21,167 miles.
Is the Kawasaki VN reliable?
87.14% of Kawasaki VN MOT tests are passed first time, with an average of 0.6 faults recorded per test. This is measured from DVSA MOT records, not owner opinion.
Based on DVSA MOT test records for 840 Kawasaki VN motorcycles registered in Great Britain and Northern Ireland. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.