Kawasaki KLE MOT pass rate and common failures

Kawasaki KLE motorcycles pass the MOT 87.93% of the time, measured across 696 tests in the DVSA record. A further 4.6% passed only after a defect was put right at the test station.

About average - within 1.1 points of the 86.87% figure for all motorcycles tested.
Pass rate 87.93% 612 of 696
Fixed at the station 4.6% passed after an on-the-spot repair
Average mileage at test 21,300 miles
Average age at test 10.29 years old
Engine 647cc MOT class 1 and 2
For sale now 0 Kawasaki KLE 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 32.7% of failed tests on this model.
  • Then check has a serious fluid leak and too high, the next two most common reasons.
  • Age matters here: 89.64% of 6-10 year old examples pass, against 78.13% at 16+ years - a gap of 11.5 points.
  • The most common advisory is tread depth is below minimum requirements of 1.0mm (8.2% of all tests) - not a failure, but money you will spend sooner or later.
  • Average recorded mileage at test is 21,300 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 89.64% 560
11-15 years 82.35% 102
16+ years 78.13% 32

Why the Kawasaki KLE 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 32.7% 17
2 Has a serious fluid leak 25% 13
3 Too high 19.2% 10
4 Tread depth is below minimum requirements of 1.0mm 19.2% 10
5 Not working on dipped beam 13.5% 7
6 Excessively binding 9.6% 5
7 Less than 1.0 mm thick 9.6% 5
8 Contaminated 7.7% 4
9 Excessively loose 7.7% 4
10 Grip insecure to handlebar 7.7% 4

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 Tread depth is below minimum requirements of 1.0mm 8.2% 57
2 Less than 1.0 mm thick 4.6% 32
3 Excessively loose 4.3% 30
4 Indicates excessive fluctuation of brake effort 3.4% 24
5 Noise is clearly in excess of that emitted by a similar motorcycle fitted with a standard silencer in average condition 2.7% 19
6 Worn to excess 2.7% 19
7 Has a serious fluid leak 2.3% 16
8 In such a condition that it is seriously weakened 1.7% 12
9 Excessively tight 1.4% 10
10 Tread not clearly visible 1.3% 9

Kawasaki KLE for sale

No Kawasaki KLE in stock at the moment - 1,109 other Kawasaki bikes are advertised.

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 KLE MOT questions

What is the MOT pass rate for the Kawasaki KLE?+
87.93% of Kawasaki KLE MOT tests end in a pass, based on 696 tests in the DVSA dataset.
What is the most common MOT failure on a Kawasaki KLE?+
Not working, which appears in 32.7% of failed tests on this model.
Does the Kawasaki KLE get harder to pass as it ages?+
At 16+ years old the pass rate is 78.13%, against 89.64% 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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