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R203 OEL

1998 Kawasaki ER5

Black Petrol 498cc
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MOT Status

Valid
Expires26 Sep 2026
Tests26 (16 pass, 10 fail)
Pass rate61.5%

Mileage

66,304 mi
Last recorded66,304 miles
Recorded on27 Sep 2025
Typical for 1998 Kawasaki ER525,438 mi

Significantly above average — investigate

4 checks still locked for this Kawasaki
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Finance
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Vehicle Details

RegistrationR203 OEL
MakeKawasaki
ModelER5
Year1998
ColourBlack
Fuel typePetrol
Engine498cc

All premium checks include

50+ data points
Finance Check (Experian) Insurance Write-off Salvage Auction Stolen Check Previous Owners Ex-Taxi, Police, NHS Mileage Anomaly Import / Export Scrapped Check Plate Changes

MOT History

16 pass 10 fail
Pass 27 Sep 2025 66,304 miles

Exhaust has a minor leak of exhaust gases (6.1.2 (a))

Pass 4 Mar 2022 65,285 miles
Pass 8 Dec 2020 62,265 miles

Drive chain worn but not considered excessive (6.1.7 (c) (i))

Front Tyre worn close to the legal limit (5.2.3 (e))

Fail 16 Nov 2020 62,265 miles

Front Brake excessively binding (1.2.1 (f))

Front Position lamp not working (4.2.1 (a))

Rear Brake indicates excessive fluctuation of brake effort (1.2.1 (e))

Rear Direction indicator obviously incorrectly positioned (4.4.3 (a))

Front Brake pad(s) less than 1.0 mm thick (1.1.13 (a)) DANGEROUS

Nearside Handlebar grip insecure to handlebar (2.2.1 (d) (ii)) DANGEROUS

Drive chain worn but not considered excessive (6.1.7 (c) (i))

Front Tyre worn close to the legal limit (5.2.3 (e))

Pass 22 Nov 2019 60,185 miles

Rear Brake indicates slight fluctuation of brake effort (1.2.1 (e))

Fail 15 Nov 2019 60,185 miles

Rear Stop lamp switch with a delay in operation (4.3.2 (a) (ii))

Rear Tyre tread depth is below minimum requirements of 1.0mm (5.2.3 (e)) DANGEROUS

Rear Brake indicates slight fluctuation of brake effort (1.2.1 (e))

Pass 21 Nov 2018 57,869 miles
Fail 21 Nov 2018 57,869 miles

Nearside Rear Footrest insecure (6.2.12 (a))

Offside Rear Footrest insecure (6.2.12 (a))

Nearside Handlebar grip insecure to handlebar (2.2.1 (d) (ii))

Pass 26 Aug 2017 57,749 miles

Front Brake pad(s) close to minimum limit (3.2.A1f(i))

Rear Tyre worn close to the legal limit (4.1.3(ii))

Pass 5 Sep 2016 52,363 miles

Front Brake lever is short but brake can still be readily applied (3.1.3c)

Nearside Rear badly worn

Fail 3 Sep 2016 52,357 miles

Front Brake pad(s) contaminated by oil or grease (3.2.A1k)

Nearside Front shock absorber seal failed and leaking oil (2.3.3)

Offside Front shock absorber seal failed and leaking oil (2.3.3)

Front Brake lever is short but brake can still be readily applied (3.1.3c)

Nearside Rear badly worn

Pass 13 Jul 2015 50,973 miles
Fail 6 Jul 2015 50,973 miles

Rear wheel bearings have excessive free play (2.4.A.2c)

Throttle operating incorrectly (6.2.1f)

Pass 21 May 2014 47,735 miles

handelbars slightley bent

Pass 18 May 2013 46,990 miles
Pass 19 May 2012 45,568 miles
Pass 28 May 2011 40,844 miles
Pass 24 Apr 2009 44,258 miles

Brake lever is bent but brake can still be readily applied (3.1.3c)

Chain guard missing

crack in number plate

cracking in tread of rear tyre

Fail 22 Apr 2009 44,258 miles

Drive chain sprocket carrier worn to excess (6.2.1e)

Horn not working (1.7.3a)

Offside Front Direction indicator not working (1.5.1c)

Offside Front shock absorber seal failed and leaking oil (2.3.3)

Offside Rear Direction indicator flashing more than 120 times per minute (1.5.1c)

Rear reflector on motorcycle dirty and function impaired (1.4.2a)

Brake lever is bent but brake can still be readily applied (3.1.3c)

Chain guard missing

crack in number plate

cracking in tread of rear tyre

Pass 21 Apr 2008 40,407 miles
Fail 17 Apr 2008 40,356 miles

Front Roller brake test indicates a severely grabbing brake (3.3.A1b)

Rear Brake linkage has abnormal movement due to maladjustment (3.2.A1i)

Rear Roller brake test indicates excessive fluctuation of brake effort (3.3.A1d)

Rear position lamp does not illuminate immediately when it is switched on (1.1.3a)

Throttle has a significant change in engine speed whilst moving the steering from lock to lock (2.1.4)

Front Brake pad(s) less than 1.5 mm thick (3.2.A1f(i)) DANGEROUS

Roller brake test The less effective brake control does not achieve an efficiency of 25%. (3.3.A2b) DANGEROUS

Rear Drive chain sprocket carrier worn but not considered excessive (6.2.1e)

Pass 28 Apr 2007 35,474 miles
Fail 25 Apr 2007 35,409 miles

Front position lamp does not illuminate immediately when switched on (1.1.3a)

Nearside Front shock absorber seal failed and leaking oil (2.3.3)

Offside Front shock absorber seal failed and leaking oil (2.3.3)

Rear Drive chain sprocket carrier worn to excess (6.2.1e)

Chain guard missing

Front Tyre worn close to the legal limit (4.1.3(ii))

Pass 16 Mar 2006 26,985 miles

Clutch lever shortened. (6.2.1g)

Drive chain slightly tight (6.2.1d)

Drive chain sprocket carrier worn but not considered excessive (6.2.1e)

Drive chain worn but not considered excessive (6.2.1e)

Handlebar slightly corroded. (2.1.1b)

Rear wheel bearings have slight free play (2.4.A.2c)

Steering movement slightly 'notchy' (2.2.1a)

Wheel alignment slightly misaligned. (2.5.1)

speedometer not illuminated

Fail 16 Mar 2006 26,985 miles

Clutch lever shortened. (6.2.1g)

Drive chain slightly tight (6.2.1d)

Drive chain sprocket carrier worn but not considered excessive (6.2.1e)

Drive chain worn but not considered excessive (6.2.1e)

Handlebar slightly corroded. (2.1.1b)

Headlamp aim too low (1.6.2)

Nearside Footrest insecure (6.2.1a)

Rear reflector on motorcycle dirty and function impaired (1.4.2a)

Rear wheel bearings have slight free play (2.4.A.2c)

Registration plate dirty (6.3.1d)

Steering movement slightly 'notchy' (2.2.1a)

Wheel alignment slightly misaligned. (2.5.1)

speedometer not illuminated

Fail 27 Feb 2006 26,709 miles

Centre Front Upper Tyre tread depth is below minimum requirements of 1.0mm (4.1.3(ii))

Centre Rear Lower Brake pedal has inadequate reserve travel (3.1.3b)

Nearside Front Lower Front shock absorber seal failed and leaking oil (2.3.3)

Nearside Rear Lower Rear shock absorber has inadequate damping effect. (2.4.A.3b)

How Reliable is the Kawasaki ER5?

Based on 65,763 MOT tests across 6,087 vehicles.

81.2%
Pass Rate
1,017
Miles/Year
30
Year Lifespan
6,087
On UK Roads

Top MOT Failure Points

Tyre tread depth is below minimum requirements of 1.0mm 1,027
shock absorber seal failed and leaking oil 880
Roller brake test indicates excessive fluctuation of brake effort 668
Stop lamp does not illuminate immediately a brake applies 589
Roller brake test indicates a binding brake 550
Full Kawasaki ER5 reliability report

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Not all vehicle check providers are the same. Some don't offer a data guarantee, which means if their information is wrong, you're on your own. Every CarVerify report is backed by a £30,000 finance data guarantee.

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R203 OEL is a 1998 Kawasaki ER5 in Black with a 498cc petrol engine. This vehicle has been through 26 MOT tests with a personal pass rate of 61.5%.

Across all 1998 Kawasaki ER5 models, the average MOT pass rate is 80.1% with a typical mileage of 25,438 miles. This particular vehicle has a lower pass rate than the average for its year, which may indicate maintenance issues worth investigating.

The most common reason a Kawasaki ER5 fails its MOT is tyre tread depth is below minimum requirements of 1.0mm, accounting for 1,027 recorded failures. If you're considering buying R203 OEL, it's worth having these areas checked by a mechanic before committing.

The Kawasaki ER5 typically stays on UK roads for around 30 years. At 28 years old, this Kawasaki ER5 is approaching the upper end of the typical lifespan for this model.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I check the history of R203 OEL?

You can check the full history of R203 OEL by running a full vehicle check. This shows you finance, stolen, write-off, MOT history, mileage records and more.

What year was R203 OEL registered?

R203 OEL is a 1998 Kawasaki ER5, first registered on 8 May 1998.

Is R203 OEL safe to buy?

The MOT history for R203 OEL shows 26 tests with a 61.5% pass rate. To check for outstanding finance, stolen markers, write-off history and mileage discrepancies, run a full vehicle check.

Does R203 OEL have outstanding finance?

Finance checks require a premium vehicle report. This checks against all major UK finance providers to see if there is any outstanding finance on R203 OEL. If you buy a car with outstanding finance, the finance company can repossess it.

No warranty or guarantee of accuracy is provided for any free data on this page. The data guarantee applies only to information obtained through the purchase of a full check.