Kawasaki Z1B
Real ownership data from 145 UK Z1B motorcycles — mileage, MOT pass rates and the faults that actually come up, taken from DVSA test records rather than opinion.
Most common Z1B problems
Ranked by how often each fault appears in this model's MOT history.
| Fault | Severity | Share of faults |
|---|---|---|
| Lights and indicators | fail | 21.7% |
| Brakes | major | 7.4% |
| Other | fail | 6.6% |
| Steering and head bearings | fail | 4.5% |
| Suspension | fail | 3.7% |
| Tyres | fail | 3.7% |
| Chain and sprockets | fail | 2.1% |
| Electrical | fail | 1.6% |
Advisories (wear noted but not failed) are excluded above; the most common is suspension.
Z1B 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1998 | 6 | 21,896 mi | 265 | 92% |
| 1975 | 83 | 22,040 mi | 228 | 90.13% |
| 1974 | 7 | 23,544 mi | 132 | 96% |
Z1B questions, answered with data
What are the most common problems with the Kawasaki Z1B?
Across 145 UK examples, the most frequently recorded MOT faults are lights and indicators (21.7% of all recorded faults), brakes (7.4% of all recorded faults), other (6.6% of all recorded faults).
What is average mileage for a Kawasaki Z1B?
The median Kawasaki Z1B in the UK has covered 19,663 miles, and typically rides about 206 miles a year. Half of all examples fall between 2,951 and 34,633 miles.
Is the Kawasaki Z1B reliable?
91.17% of Kawasaki Z1B MOT tests are passed first time, with an average of 0.35 faults recorded per test. This is measured from DVSA MOT records, not owner opinion.
Based on DVSA MOT test records for 145 Kawasaki Z1B motorcycles registered in Great Britain and Northern Ireland. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.