Kawasaki Z650
Real ownership data from 1,973 UK Z650 motorcycles — mileage, MOT pass rates and the faults that actually come up, taken from DVSA test records rather than opinion.
Most common Z650 problems
Ranked by how often each fault appears in this model's MOT history.
| Fault | Severity | Share of faults |
|---|---|---|
| Lights and indicators | major | 17.2% |
| Brakes | fail | 7.6% |
| Other | fail | 4.9% |
| Tyres | fail | 3.8% |
| Suspension | fail | 3% |
| Steering and head bearings | fail | 2.3% |
| Chain and sprockets | fail | 1.9% |
| Electrical | fail | 1.4% |
Advisories (wear noted but not failed) are excluded above; the most common is suspension.
Z650 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 5 | 28,913 mi | — | 80% |
| 2019 | 8 | 14,405 mi | 170 | 87.5% |
| 2018 | 9 | 18,069 mi | 293 | 83.33% |
| 2017 | 15 | 16,758 mi | 227 | 84.44% |
| 2016 | 14 | 13,954 mi | 296 | 91.67% |
| 2015 | 7 | 14,084 mi | 210 | 88.89% |
| 2012 | 6 | 22,726 mi | 773 | 69.57% |
| 2011 | 5 | 20,423 mi | 116 | 95.83% |
| 2007 | 5 | 24,045 mi | 364 | 95.65% |
| 2003 | 8 | 27,950 mi | 490 | 80.36% |
| 2002 | 6 | 20,089 mi | 160 | 92.86% |
| 2000 | 12 | 19,416 mi | 284 | 85.19% |
| 1999 | 12 | 30,242 mi | 78 | 80.43% |
| 1998 | 46 | 22,311 mi | 159 | 86.26% |
| 1997 | 38 | 25,462 mi | 257 | 77.6% |
| 1996 | 36 | 23,716 mi | 290 | 82.28% |
| 1995 | 34 | 25,052 mi | 301 | 89.67% |
| 1994 | 27 | 27,351 mi | 204 | 83.09% |
| 1993 | 27 | 28,675 mi | 334 | 84.57% |
| 1992 | 17 | 35,235 mi | 231 | 85.84% |
Z650 questions, answered with data
What are the most common problems with the Kawasaki Z650?
Across 1,973 UK examples, the most frequently recorded MOT faults are lights and indicators (17.2% of all recorded faults), brakes (7.6% of all recorded faults), other (4.9% of all recorded faults).
What is average mileage for a Kawasaki Z650?
The median Kawasaki Z650 in the UK has covered 30,704 miles, and typically rides about 244 miles a year. Half of all examples fall between 18,296 and 43,124 miles.
Is the Kawasaki Z650 reliable?
82.6% of Kawasaki Z650 MOT tests are passed first time, with an average of 0.78 faults recorded per test. This is measured from DVSA MOT records, not owner opinion.
Based on DVSA MOT test records for 1,973 Kawasaki Z650 motorcycles registered in Great Britain and Northern Ireland. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.