2009 Kawasaki EX 650 C9F 0.6L Petrol · DS09 KOJ

This Kawasaki EX650 presents a stable and improving mechanical picture at its most recent test. The December 2024 MOT at 52,998 miles passed completely clean with zero defects, a significant turnaround from the previous years. The maintenance trend is clearly resolving, as the motorcycle has shed a cluster of recurring advisories that plagued it between 2020 and 2022. The tester flagged no issues whatsoever in the most recent inspection, indicating the previous owner addressed the outstanding faults. The mileage profile tells a story of very light use. At roughly 3,118 miles per year over seventeen years, this is exceptionally low. The record shows a notable gap between December 2020 at 38,149 miles and December 2021 at 39,513 miles, covering just 1,364 miles in twelve months. Accumulation then picked up, jumping 6,700 miles between November 2022 and November 2023, before plateauing at 52,998 miles in December 2024 with no further movement recorded since. That plateau suggests the bike may have been standing for over a year and a half, which carries its own risks around stale fuel, degraded seals, and surface corrosion on brake discs and chain components. The recurring advisories from 2020 through 2022 centred on the offside front shock absorber misting oil, a slightly distorted front bead rim, a noisy exhaust, and a worn and loose drive chain. The clean 2024 result implies these were rectified, but a buyer should still verify the front suspension operates smoothly without excessive dive or rebound, and inspect the exhaust for fresh repairs or replacements. The front wheel rim distortion was flagged three years running, so checking for true roundness and spoke tension remains worthwhile. The chain and sprockets were noted as worn and loose in 2020, so examine for elongation, hooking on the rear sprocket, and correct adjustment. Despite the clean recent pass, the extended period of inactivity since December 2024 demands a careful physical inspection. Check brake calipers for seized pistons and discs for pitting or lipping from standing corrosion. Drain any stale fuel and inspect the tank interior for rust. Examine the tyre date codes closely, as rubber degrades with age regardless of tread depth. The fork seals may have dried out during the lay-up, so look for fresh weeping on the offside stanchion. A short test ride under braking and over broken surfaces will confirm whether the suspension repairs have fully resolved the earlier misting issue.