Motorcycle MOT pass rates by make and model

How often each motorcycle model passes its MOT, what fails most often and how the odds change as a bike ages. Built from the DVSA record of every MOT test carried out in Great Britain — not a survey, not a sample.

Models covered 905 across 44 makes

Tests analysed 722,608 2025 dataset

Average pass rate 86.87% all motorcycles, first test

Minimum sample 200 tests before a model gets a page

Most tested models

The models with the biggest sample in the dataset, so the most reliable figures on the site.

Model	Tests	Pass rate	Avg mileage
Triumph TIGER · 969cc	16,144	91.27%	22,934
Triumph BONNEVILLE 642-904cc · 642-904cc	12,456	90.8%	12,824
BMW R SERIES · 1,152cc	9,796	91.92%	40,594
BMW R1200 · 1,170cc	9,521	94.43%	28,830
Yamaha GPD125-A NMAX 125 · 125cc	8,762	80.8%	45,039
BMW S 1000 · 999cc	8,445	91.96%	15,282
Piaggio VESPA 79-210cc · 79-210cc	8,363	85.42%	11,710
Honda WW · 125cc	7,252	80.32%	40,134
BMW R1250 · 1,254cc	6,764	96.17%	17,373
BMW R 1200 · 1,170cc	6,170	95.28%	27,241
Yamaha YZF R1 · 998cc	6,022	88.01%	23,152
Yamaha MT 800-1000cc · 800-1000cc	5,720	90.98%	16,130

Highest pass rates

Minimum 200 tests, so one lucky bike cannot skew it.

Model	Tests	Pass rate	Avg mileage
Piaggio VESPA GTS 300 SUPERSPORT · 277cc	271	97.79%	4,975
BMW R 1250 RS SE · 1,254cc	476	97.48%	10,985
Askoll 02 ESPRO 70	331	97.28%	18,449
Triumph TIGER 900 GT LRH · 888cc	336	97.02%	11,466
Suzuki DL 650 X AM1 · 647cc	225	96.89%	9,367
Triumph TIGER 1200 GT EXPLORER · 1,160cc	222	96.85%	10,386
Honda SH 350 A-M · 329cc	217	96.77%	10,960
Honda CRF 1100 A2-L · 1,084cc	323	96.59%	11,947
Yamaha TRACER 9 GT (MTT 890D) · 890cc	1,201	96.59%	9,802
Honda NC 750 XD-M · 745cc	406	96.55%	11,407
BMW F 900 XR TE · 895cc	659	96.51%	10,316
BMW R 1250 GS TE · 1,254cc	2,512	96.46%	12,060

Lowest pass rates

Worth reading alongside age — older models fail more whatever the badge.

Model	Tests	Pass rate	Avg mileage
Lexmoto ZSX · 125cc	498	56.43%	9,642
Derbi SENDA · 78cc	217	59.91%	10,397
Lexmoto ECHO 50 E4 · 50cc	530	61.51%	6,253
Lexmoto LXR 125 SY 125-10 · 125cc	920	61.85%	9,110
Keeway SUPERLIGHT · 125cc	1,187	62.43%	9,245
Lexmoto VENOM · 124cc	525	62.48%	8,251
Lexmoto TITAN 125 · 125cc	323	62.54%	7,598
Aprilia SX · 85cc	233	62.66%	10,814
Lexmoto LXR 125 · 124cc	722	62.74%	6,442
Lexmoto TITAN 125 ZN 125 T-8F · 125cc	331	62.84%	9,360
Lexmoto ZSB 125 EFI SK 125-8 E4 · 124cc	261	62.84%	5,410
Lexmoto XFLM · 125cc	200	63%	8,641

Every make

44 makes with enough tests to publish. Pass rate, sample size and how many models have their own page.

Make	Tests	Pass rate	Models
Honda	210,833	86.02%	175
Yamaha	135,230	84.57%	127
Triumph	102,493	90.17%	69
Suzuki	95,054	85.79%	102
BMW	83,416	93.15%	46
Kawasaki	80,511	87.25%	87
Harley-Davidson	52,684	90.55%	56
KTM	32,383	85.29%	45
Piaggio	31,885	85.93%	22
Ducati	31,487	90.49%	42
Royal Enfield	15,344	90.76%	14
Aprilia	14,581	84.64%	16
Lexmoto	14,165	66.26%	22
Moto Guzzi	5,640	90.89%	6
SYM	5,613	77.48%	9
Peugeot	5,476	76.15%	7
Husqvarna	5,003	84.45%	2
Keeway	4,092	66.89%	6
Benelli	4,010	80.7%	2
Sinnis	3,329	67.29%	4
Royal Alloy	3,183	88.91%	6
AJS	2,960	73.58%	4
Indian Motorcycle	2,525	93.11%	3
Mutt	2,004	71.21%	2
Kymco	1,962	78.44%	2
Beta	1,889	84.44%	3
MV Agusta	1,861	90.01%	2
Zontes	1,686	73.13%	3
Vmoto	1,620	87.9%	2
Lambretta	1,526	91.28%	2
LML	1,459	85.68%	2
Gilera	1,447	82.17%	3
NIU	1,177	87.94%	1
Victory	1,123	88.87%	1
Scomadi	871	87.37%	1
Bullit	747	74.16%	1
Fantic	666	83.93%	1
Derbi	615	63.58%	1
Indian	589	91.85%	1
Sherco	543	80.29%	1
Qingqi	446	66.37%	1
Enfield	441	87.3%	1
Askoll	338	97.34%	1
E MAX	259	82.24%	1

Used motorbikes for sale Bike specifications Licence guides Riders Zone

Source: DVSA MOT testing data, 2025 · updated Aug 2026 · licence and method

Motorcycle MOT statistics FAQ

What is the average MOT pass rate for motorcycles?+

86.87% across 722,608 motorcycle tests in the DVSA dataset for 2025. Cars sit noticeably lower, mostly because a car has far more items that can fail.

Why do some models not have a page?+

A model needs at least 200 tests in the dataset before we publish a page for it. Below that the pass rate swings on a handful of bikes and stops being meaningful.

Does a low pass rate mean a bad motorcycle?+

Not directly. The MOT tests safety items, and it tests the owner as much as the machine - a model bought cheap and ridden hard will fail more often than the same engineering kept in a heated garage. Read it alongside age: we break every model down by age band for exactly that reason.

How current is this data?+

It covers 2025. DVSA publishes the anonymised dataset once a year, and we rebuild these pages when the new file lands.

How to read these numbers

Every MOT carried out in England, Scotland and Wales is recorded by DVSA and published once a year, without registration numbers. That makes it the only complete, independent picture of how motorcycles actually hold up in use - not a survey, not a sample, every single test.

Two things are worth knowing before you draw conclusions. First, the MOT only covers safety items, so a model can have a superb pass rate and still eat gearboxes. Second, an older bike fails more often regardless of badge, which is why each model page splits the figure by age band rather than quoting one number. When you are ready to shop, browse used motorbikes or read the Riders Zone.