Kawasaki EX 296cc MOT pass rate and common failures

Kawasaki EX 296cc motorcycles pass the MOT 81.67% of the time, measured across 300 tests in the DVSA record. A further 5.33% passed only after a defect was put right at the test station.

Calculated from DVSA records for Kawasaki EX, 296-305cc.

Worse than average: 5.2 points below the 86.87% figure for all motorcycles tested.
Pass rate 81.67% 245 of 300
Fixed at the station 5.33% passed after an on-the-spot repair
Average mileage at test 12,840 miles
Average age at test 10.8 years old
Engine 293cc MOT class 1 and 2
For sale now 0 Kawasaki EX 296cc adverts

What to check before the MOT

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

  • Start with not working - it accounts for 30.8% of failed tests on this model.
  • Then check excessively binding and missing, the next two most common reasons.
  • Age matters here: 83.33% of 6-10 year old examples pass, against 77.03% at 11-15 years - a gap of 6.3 points.
  • 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 (9% of all tests) - not a failure, but money you will spend sooner or later.
  • Average recorded mileage at test is 12,840 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 83.33% 216
11-15 years 77.03% 74

Why the Kawasaki EX 296cc 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 Not working 30.8% 12
2 Excessively binding 23.1% 9
3 Missing 23.1% 9
4 Fractured 17.9% 7
5 Tread depth is below minimum requirements of 1.0mm 15.4% 6
6 Less than 1.0 mm thick 12.8% 5
7 Excessively loose 10.3% 4
8 Has a serious fluid leak 10.3% 4
9 Not working on dipped beam 7.7% 3
10 Contaminated 5.1% 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 9% 27
2 Tread depth is below minimum requirements of 1.0mm 5.3% 16
3 Has a serious fluid leak 4.3% 13
4 Excessively binding 4% 12
5 Indicates excessive fluctuation of brake effort 3.7% 11
6 Less than 1.0 mm thick 3.7% 11
7 Worn to excess 3% 9
8 Significantly and obviously worn 2.3% 7
9 Excessively loose 2% 6
10 In such a condition that it is seriously weakened 1.7% 5

Kawasaki EX 296cc for sale

No Kawasaki EX 296cc in stock at the moment - 1,111 other Kawasaki bikes are advertised.

Similar bikes compared

Models of comparable capacity, so the comparison means something.

Model Tests Pass rate   Avg mileage
Piaggio VESPA GTS · 240-300cc 4,305 92.15% 9,875
Honda CRF 220-250cc · 220-250cc 2,452 89.76% 7,549
Royal Enfield METEOR 350 · 349cc 2,133 93.95% 4,543
Honda NSS 250-297cc · 250-297cc 1,397 90.34% 17,407
Honda CRF 300 LA-M · 286cc 1,297 88.43% 3,963
BMW G310 · 313cc 1,129 90.79% 7,243

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

Kawasaki EX 296cc MOT questions

What is the MOT pass rate for the Kawasaki EX 296cc?+
81.67% of Kawasaki EX 296cc MOT tests end in a pass, based on 300 tests in the DVSA dataset.
What is the most common MOT failure on a Kawasaki EX 296cc?+
Not working, which appears in 30.8% of failed tests on this model.
Does the Kawasaki EX 296cc get harder to pass as it ages?+
At 11-15 years old the pass rate is 77.03%, against 83.33% for examples 6-10 years old.
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.
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