Kawasaki Z400
Real ownership data from 181 UK Z400 motorcycles — mileage, MOT pass rates and the faults that actually come up, taken from DVSA test records rather than opinion.
Most common Z400 problems
Ranked by how often each fault appears in this model's MOT history.
| Fault | Severity | Share of faults |
|---|---|---|
| Lights and indicators | major | 12.5% |
| Brakes | fail | 7.5% |
| Other | fail | 4.4% |
| Tyres | fail | 3.2% |
| Steering and head bearings | fail | 3.1% |
| Suspension | fail | 2.6% |
| Wheels | fail | 2.5% |
| Chain and sprockets | fail | 2.4% |
Advisories (wear noted but not failed) are excluded above; the most common is suspension.
Z400 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1981 | 12 | 17,496 mi | 186 | 85.07% |
| 1980 | 53 | 27,446 mi | 293 | 82.82% |
| 1979 | 29 | 24,762 mi | 287 | 82.22% |
| 1978 | 23 | 24,154 mi | 573 | 75% |
| 1977 | 12 | 24,990 mi | 253 | 75.44% |
| 1976 | 22 | 28,412 mi | 144 | 87% |
| 1975 | 9 | 30,438 mi | 281 | 82.93% |
Z400 questions, answered with data
What are the most common problems with the Kawasaki Z400?
Across 181 UK examples, the most frequently recorded MOT faults are lights and indicators (12.5% of all recorded faults), brakes (7.5% of all recorded faults), other (4.4% of all recorded faults).
What is average mileage for a Kawasaki Z400?
The median Kawasaki Z400 in the UK has covered 25,308 miles, and typically rides about 295 miles a year. Half of all examples fall between 15,075 and 38,209 miles.
Is the Kawasaki Z400 reliable?
81.6% of Kawasaki Z400 MOT tests are passed first time, with an average of 1.03 faults recorded per test. This is measured from DVSA MOT records, not owner opinion.
Based on DVSA MOT test records for 181 Kawasaki Z400 motorcycles registered in Great Britain and Northern Ireland. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.