Kawasaki ZXR
Real ownership data from 327 UK ZXR motorcycles — mileage, MOT pass rates and the faults that actually come up, taken from DVSA test records rather than opinion.
Most common ZXR problems
Ranked by how often each fault appears in this model's MOT history.
| Fault | Severity | Share of faults |
|---|---|---|
| Tyres | dangerous | 11.5% |
| Steering and head bearings | major | 9.3% |
| Chain and sprockets | major | 9.2% |
| Other | major | 6.7% |
| Brakes | major | 6.1% |
| Controls and cables | fail | 5.9% |
| Wheels | fail | 3.8% |
| Lights and indicators | user entered | 3.2% |
Advisories (wear noted but not failed) are excluded above; the most common is steering and head bearings.
ZXR 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 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006 | 5 | 22,077 mi | 970 | 79.69% |
| 2005 | 5 | 16,664 mi | 912 | 88.89% |
| 2004 | 12 | 19,028 mi | 958 | 86.44% |
| 2003 | 10 | 19,376 mi | 1,335 | 79.79% |
| 2002 | 7 | 30,224 mi | 582 | 73.13% |
| 2001 | 8 | 20,146 mi | 1,332 | 75.36% |
| 2000 | 14 | 31,358 mi | 1,472 | 80.33% |
| 1999 | 12 | 33,277 mi | 346 | 72.12% |
| 1998 | 33 | 30,474 mi | 1,183 | 71.71% |
| 1997 | 32 | 23,950 mi | 550 | 74.5% |
| 1996 | 32 | 26,928 mi | 608 | 74.06% |
| 1995 | 42 | 27,550 mi | 833 | 74.53% |
| 1994 | 22 | 28,058 mi | 928 | 75.51% |
| 1992 | 22 | 31,981 mi | 312 | 78.65% |
| 1991 | 15 | 34,699 mi | 450 | 68.37% |
| 1990 | 19 | 37,353 mi | 445 | 72.9% |
| 1989 | 25 | 35,952 mi | 425 | 76.13% |
ZXR questions, answered with data
What are the most common problems with the Kawasaki ZXR?
Across 327 UK examples, the most frequently recorded MOT faults are tyres (11.5% of all recorded faults), steering and head bearings (9.3% of all recorded faults), chain and sprockets (9.2% of all recorded faults).
What is average mileage for a Kawasaki ZXR?
The median Kawasaki ZXR in the UK has covered 28,500 miles, and typically rides about 744 miles a year. Half of all examples fall between 18,358 and 38,960 miles.
Is the Kawasaki ZXR reliable?
75.82% of Kawasaki ZXR MOT tests are passed first time, with an average of 0.32 faults recorded per test. This is measured from DVSA MOT records, not owner opinion.
Based on DVSA MOT test records for 327 Kawasaki ZXR motorcycles registered in Great Britain and Northern Ireland. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.