Kawasaki Z500
Real ownership data from 60 UK Z500 motorcycles — mileage, MOT pass rates and the faults that actually come up, taken from DVSA test records rather than opinion.
Most common Z500 problems
Ranked by how often each fault appears in this model's MOT history.
| Fault | Severity | Share of faults |
|---|---|---|
| Lights and indicators | major | 14.6% |
| Suspension | major | 5.7% |
| Brakes | fail | 4.5% |
| Steering and head bearings | fail | 3.6% |
| Chain and sprockets | fail | 3.6% |
| Wheels | fail | 2.7% |
| Brake discs and pads | major | 2.4% |
| Other | fail | 2.4% |
Advisories (wear noted but not failed) are excluded above; the most common is suspension.
Z500 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980 | 27 | 31,201 mi | 354 | 70.53% |
| 1979 | 22 | 35,309 mi | 407 | 82.09% |
Z500 questions, answered with data
What are the most common problems with the Kawasaki Z500?
Across 60 UK examples, the most frequently recorded MOT faults are lights and indicators (14.6% of all recorded faults), suspension (5.7% of all recorded faults), brakes (4.5% of all recorded faults).
What is average mileage for a Kawasaki Z500?
The median Kawasaki Z500 in the UK has covered 33,378 miles, and typically rides about 395 miles a year. Half of all examples fall between 22,321 and 42,905 miles.
Is the Kawasaki Z500 reliable?
76.06% of Kawasaki Z500 MOT tests are passed first time, with an average of 1.31 faults recorded per test. This is measured from DVSA MOT records, not owner opinion.
Based on DVSA MOT test records for 60 Kawasaki Z500 motorcycles registered in Great Britain and Northern Ireland. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.