Kawasaki Z800
Real ownership data from 1,582 UK Z800 motorcycles — mileage, MOT pass rates and the faults that actually come up, taken from DVSA test records rather than opinion.
Most common Z800 problems
Ranked by how often each fault appears in this model's MOT history.
| Fault | Severity | Share of faults |
|---|---|---|
| Steering and head bearings | dangerous | 15.2% |
| Brake discs and pads | major | 13% |
| Brakes | dangerous | 9.6% |
| Chain and sprockets | dangerous | 8.5% |
| Lights and indicators | dangerous | 5.9% |
| Suspension | major | 5.2% |
| Exhaust and emissions | fail | 4.8% |
| Electrical | major | 4.4% |
Advisories (wear noted but not failed) are excluded above; the most common is fork seals.
Z800 mileage and reliability by year
Use this to judge whether a specific bike is high or low mileage for its age.
| YearYear | MedianMedian mileage | Mi/yrMiles/year | MOT passFirst-time pass | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | 19 | 7,987 mi | 882 | 82.72% |
| 2017 | 78 | 12,931 mi | 1,229 | 84.38% |
| 2016 | 410 | 11,452 mi | 1,085 | 86.86% |
| 2015 | 371 | 13,683 mi | 1,106 | 85.77% |
| 2014 | 398 | 14,134 mi | 1,209 | 84.8% |
| 2013 | 301 | 14,452 mi | 1,140 | 84.35% |
| 2012 | 5 | 11,009 mi | 2,527 | 77.78% |
Z800 questions, answered with data
What are the most common problems with the Kawasaki Z800?
Across 1,582 UK examples, the most frequently recorded MOT faults are steering and head bearings (15.2% of all recorded faults), brake discs and pads (13% of all recorded faults), brakes (9.6% of all recorded faults).
What is average mileage for a Kawasaki Z800?
The median Kawasaki Z800 in the UK has covered 13,158 miles, and typically rides about 1,132 miles a year. Half of all examples fall between 8,256 and 20,701 miles.
Is the Kawasaki Z800 reliable?
85.38% of Kawasaki Z800 MOT tests are passed first time, with an average of 0.02 faults recorded per test. This is measured from DVSA MOT records, not owner opinion.
Based on DVSA MOT test records for 1,582 Kawasaki Z800 motorcycles registered in Great Britain and Northern Ireland. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.