Kawasaki Z1100
Real ownership data from 433 UK Z1100 motorcycles — mileage, MOT pass rates and the faults that actually come up, taken from DVSA test records rather than opinion.
Most common Z1100 problems
Ranked by how often each fault appears in this model's MOT history.
| Fault | Severity | Share of faults |
|---|---|---|
| Lights and indicators | major | 15.4% |
| Brakes | major | 10.5% |
| Other | fail | 3.9% |
| Tyres | fail | 3.5% |
| Suspension | major | 2.4% |
| Exhaust and emissions | fail | 1.2% |
| Electrical | fail | 1.1% |
| Steering and head bearings | fail | 1.1% |
Advisories (wear noted but not failed) are excluded above; the most common is brake discs and pads.
Z1100 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1985 | 24 | 26,932 mi | 599 | 83.23% |
| 1984 | 56 | 28,904 mi | 387 | 83.5% |
| 1983 | 108 | 26,405 mi | 276 | 82.84% |
| 1982 | 141 | 32,223 mi | 362 | 84.99% |
| 1981 | 60 | 27,930 mi | 307 | 84.69% |
| 1980 | 5 | 33,433 mi | 497 | 76% |
Z1100 questions, answered with data
What are the most common problems with the Kawasaki Z1100?
Across 433 UK examples, the most frequently recorded MOT faults are lights and indicators (15.4% of all recorded faults), brakes (10.5% of all recorded faults), other (3.9% of all recorded faults).
What is average mileage for a Kawasaki Z1100?
The median Kawasaki Z1100 in the UK has covered 29,212 miles, and typically rides about 342 miles a year. Half of all examples fall between 15,617 and 43,346 miles.
Is the Kawasaki Z1100 reliable?
84.18% of Kawasaki Z1100 MOT tests are passed first time, with an average of 0.77 faults recorded per test. This is measured from DVSA MOT records, not owner opinion.
Based on DVSA MOT test records for 433 Kawasaki Z1100 motorcycles registered in Great Britain and Northern Ireland. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.