Kawasaki ER 650 HJF MOT pass rate and common failures

Kawasaki ER 650 HJF motorcycles pass the MOT 89.41% of the time, measured across 321 tests in the DVSA record. A further 4.67% passed only after a defect was put right at the test station.

About average - within 2.5 points of the 86.87% figure for all motorcycles tested.

Pass rate 89.41% 287 of 321

Fixed at the station 4.67% passed after an on-the-spot repair

Average mileage at test 13,737 miles

Average age at test 7 years old

Engine 649cc MOT class 1 and 2

For sale now 0 Kawasaki ER 650 HJF adverts

What to check before the MOT

Built from this model's own failure record, not general advice.

Start with missing - it accounts for 57.9% of failed tests on this model.
Then check excessively loose and obviously incorrectly positioned, the next two most common reasons.
The most common advisory is noise is clearly in excess of that emitted by a similar motorcycle fitted with a standard silencer in average condition (8.1% of all tests) - not a failure, but money you will spend sooner or later.
Average recorded mileage at test is 13,737 miles, which is the number to compare any advert against.

Pass rate by age

A single pass rate hides the most useful thing in this data: how the same model behaves at three years old and at fifteen.

Age at test	Pass rate		Tests
6-10 years	89.61%		308

Why the Kawasaki ER 650 HJF fails

Share of failed tests on this model where the item was recorded. One test can fail on several items, so the column does not add up to 100%.

#	Item	Of failures	Tests
1	Missing	57.9%	11
2	Excessively loose	26.3%	5
3	Obviously incorrectly positioned	26.3%	5
4	Not working	21.1%	4
5	Inoperative in the case of a single lamp or all lamps	15.8%	3
6	Too high	15.8%	3
7	Does not conform to the specified requirements	10.5%	2
8	Less than 1.0 mm thick	10.5%	2
9	Likely to become detached	10.5%	2
10	With a multiple light source up to 1/2 not functioning	10.5%	2

Most common advisories

Not a failure and not a legal requirement to fix - but an advisory that repeats year after year is money the next owner spends.

#	Item	Of all tests	Tests
1	Noise is clearly in excess of that emitted by a similar motorcycle fitted with a standard silencer in average condition	8.1%	26
2	Tread depth is below minimum requirements of 1.0mm	6.5%	21
3	Seriously damaged	2.5%	8
4	Significantly and obviously worn	2.5%	8
5	Excessively loose	2.2%	7
6	Less than 1.0 mm thick	2.2%	7
7	Indicates excessive fluctuation of brake effort	1.6%	5
8	Worn to excess	1.6%	5
9	Inscription illegible	1.2%	4
10	Tread not clearly visible	1.2%	4

Kawasaki ER 650 HJF for sale

No Kawasaki ER 650 HJF in stock at the moment - 1,110 other Kawasaki bikes are advertised.

Used Kawasaki ER 650 HJF Used Kawasaki All Kawasaki Kawasaki MOT statistics

Similar bikes compared

Models of comparable capacity, so the comparison means something.

Model	Tests	Pass rate	Avg mileage
Honda CB 397-750cc · 397-750cc	5,400	89.76%	19,444
Honda NC · 741cc	5,311	89.53%	22,765
Suzuki GSF600 · 600cc	4,890	80%	29,308
Honda CBR600F · 599cc	4,710	85.56%	30,651
Kawasaki ZX-6R · 599-636cc	4,510	81.62%	26,019
Suzuki SV650 · 646cc	3,834	80.99%	27,644

Source: DVSA MOT testing data, 2025 · updated Aug 2026 · licence and method

Kawasaki ER 650 HJF MOT questions

What is the MOT pass rate for the Kawasaki ER 650 HJF?+

89.41% of Kawasaki ER 650 HJF MOT tests end in a pass, based on 321 tests in the DVSA dataset.

What is the most common MOT failure on a Kawasaki ER 650 HJF?+

Missing, which appears in 57.9% of failed tests on this model.

Where does this data come from?+

From the DVSA anonymised MOT testing dataset, which records every MOT carried out in England, Scotland and Wales. It is published under the Open Government Licence and covers 2025.

Does a high pass rate mean the bike is reliable?+

Not by itself. The MOT checks safety items - brakes, tyres, lights, structure - and says nothing about engines, gearboxes or electrics. Read it as a maintenance signal, not a reliability score.