MOT cost .

Kawasaki

ZX 7R

759 MOT tests analysed. sits above the UK fleet average — here's where ZX 7Rs pass, fail, and end up on the retest sheet.

That's 7.5 points above the UK fleet average across our 1,988 tracked models — a confident result.

Pass

83.3%

Pass-after-fix

5.1%

Fail

11.2%

Avg miles

26,658

Pass + Pass-after-fix + Fail = 100%

The picture

Zx-7r: above-average pass rates, with caveats

Across 759 MOT tests, the Zx-7r returns 83.3% first-time pass — above the UK fleet average. The single most-logged Major fail is a non-functioning shock absorber. Tyre tread under the limit and a binding brake round out the top three. Average tested mileage sits at 26,658, 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.

  1. 01

    A shock absorber not functioning or leaking severely

    16 occurrences · 2.1% of tests

  2. 02

    Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements

    10 occurrences · 1.3% of tests

  3. 03

    Significant brake effort recorded with no brake applied indicating a binding brake

    8 occurrences · 1.1% of tests

  4. 04

    Excessive fluctuation in brake effort through each wheel revolution

    7 occurrences · 0.9% of tests

  5. 05

    The aim of a headlamp is not within limits laid down in the requirements

    7 occurrences · 0.9% of tests

  6. 06

    A direction indicator lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning

    7 occurrences · 0.9% of tests

  7. 07

    A tyre valve seriously damaged or misaligned likely which could cause sudden deflation of the tyre

    7 occurrences · 0.9% of tests

  8. 08

    A lamp missing or inoperative

    6 occurrences · 0.8% of tests

  9. 09

    Stop lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning

    6 occurrences · 0.8% of tests

  10. 10

    Lamp emitted colour, position or intensity not in accordance with the requirements

    6 occurrences · 0.8% 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

£70–£175

If every one of this ZX 7R'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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Build your own retest budget.

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

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

Item 02 · Amazon UK

Headlight restoration kit

Yellowed lenses fail the light-output test. A restoration kit lifts the haze in an afternoon for £20.

Search Amazon UK

Buying or keeping a ZX 7R?

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 ZX 7R 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.