Kawasaki
ZZ R1100
1,273 MOT tests analysed. sits above the UK fleet average — here's where ZZ R1100s pass, fail, and end up on the retest sheet.
That's 9.5 points above the UK fleet average across our 1,984 tracked models — a confident result.
Pass
87.0%
Pass-after-fix
5.0%
Fail
7.6%
Avg miles
35,264
Pass + Pass-after-fix + Fail = 100%
This model's production run straddles the January 2006 Euro 4 cutoff. Individual cars vary — check your registration plate on the government's ULEZ checker. Daily charges if driven in the zone: London £12.50 · Birmingham £8.00 .
The picture
Zz-R1100: a strong MOT record by UK norms
Across 950 MOT tests, the Zz-R1100 returns 87.4% first-time pass — comfortably ahead of the UK fleet average. The single most-logged Major fail is a non-functioning shock absorber. Tyre tread under the limit and brake disc or drum excessively weakened round out the top three. Average tested mileage sits at 35,754, which is the lens to read those failure rankings through. If you own one and the next test is close, the ranked list below is a sensible pre-test checklist.
Top ten reasons for rejection.
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- 01
Significant brake effort recorded with no brake applied indicating a binding brake
16 occurrences · 1.3% of tests
- 02
Stop lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning
14 occurrences · 1.1% of tests
- 03
A shock absorber not functioning or leaking severely
14 occurrences · 1.1% of tests
- 04
Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements
9 occurrences · 0.7% of tests
- 05
Excessive fluctuation in brake effort through each wheel revolution
8 occurrences · 0.6% of tests
- 06
A headlamp missing, inoperative or more than ½ not functioning in the case of LED
5 occurrences · 0.4% of tests
- 07
Brake lining or pad worn below 1.0mm
5 occurrences · 0.4% of tests
- 08
Lamp emitted colour, position or intensity not in accordance with the requirements
5 occurrences · 0.4% of tests
- 09
Rate of flashing not between 60 and 120 times per minute
5 occurrences · 0.4% of tests
- 10
Brake disc or drum excessively weakened, insecure or fractured
4 occurrences · 0.3% of tests
Counts cover Major and Dangerous defects logged at test. Advisory items excluded so this shows why a car was rejected, not just what the tester flagged in passing.
Worst-case fix budget · top 2 failures
£68–£130
If every one of this ZZ R1100's most-logged Major fails hit at the same MOT, that's the real-world UK garage range. Reality is usually one or two items, not all of them. Open the estimator →
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Tools that pre-empt a retest.
Picked against this car's top failure patterns. Affiliate links to Amazon UK — we earn a small cut at no cost to you. Disclosed up-front, doesn't shape the data.
Item 01 · Amazon UK
H7 / W21W bulb pack
A spare-bulb kit lives in the boot. Test morning is not the time to find your stop-lamp's gone.
Search Amazon UK
Item 02 · Amazon UK
Digital tyre-tread depth gauge
Five quid for a gauge beats £150 for a retest. UK MOT minimum is 1.6mm — most testers fail anything below 2mm to be safe.
Search Amazon UK
My Motor World · affiliate
Parts & supplies for this fix
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Click Mechanic · affiliate
Book a mobile mechanic
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Mobile mechanic · UK-wide
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Buying or keeping a ZZ R1100?
Use the failure ranking as a pre-test checklist or a haggling lever. Treat the headline pass rate as a fleet-wide trend, not a guarantee on any individual car.
If you own a ZZ R1100 and your last MOT looked nothing like the ranked failures above, that's normal — individual cars vary widely. The ranking shows the patterns testers flag most often across the country.