Kawasaki ZX400
Real ownership data from 117 UK ZX400 motorcycles — mileage, MOT pass rates and the faults that actually come up, taken from DVSA test records rather than opinion.
Most common ZX400 problems
Ranked by how often each fault appears in this model's MOT history.
| Fault | Severity | Share of faults |
|---|---|---|
| Lights and indicators | major | 11.6% |
| Brakes | major | 9.8% |
| Suspension | fail | 4.1% |
| Other | fail | 3.8% |
| Tyres | fail | 3.1% |
| Steering and head bearings | fail | 3% |
| Chain and sprockets | major | 3% |
| Exhaust and emissions | fail | 2.3% |
Advisories (wear noted but not failed) are excluded above; the most common is suspension.
ZX400 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 5 | 25,879 mi | — | 65.22% |
| 1999 | 12 | 24,524 mi | 1,074 | 65.79% |
| 1998 | 21 | 21,137 mi | 1,178 | 68.27% |
| 1997 | 16 | 32,419 mi | 1,575 | 68.66% |
| 1996 | 17 | 30,484 mi | 5,414 | 65.75% |
| 1995 | 10 | 19,368 mi | 7,104 | 72% |
| 1994 | 5 | 29,670 mi | 407 | 84.44% |
| 1992 | 5 | 27,127 mi | 602 | 72.73% |
| 1990 | 5 | 24,723 mi | — | 64.71% |
ZX400 questions, answered with data
What are the most common problems with the Kawasaki ZX400?
Across 117 UK examples, the most frequently recorded MOT faults are lights and indicators (11.6% of all recorded faults), brakes (9.8% of all recorded faults), suspension (4.1% of all recorded faults).
What is average mileage for a Kawasaki ZX400?
The median Kawasaki ZX400 in the UK has covered 26,447 miles, and typically rides about 1,713 miles a year. Half of all examples fall between 17,925 and 34,354 miles.
Is the Kawasaki ZX400 reliable?
70.71% of Kawasaki ZX400 MOT tests are passed first time, with an average of 1.46 faults recorded per test. This is measured from DVSA MOT records, not owner opinion.
Based on DVSA MOT test records for 117 Kawasaki ZX400 motorcycles registered in Great Britain and Northern Ireland. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.