KTM 1290 SUPER ADVENTURE S MOT pass rate and common failures
KTM 1290 SUPER ADVENTURE S motorcycles pass the MOT 94.12% of the time, measured across 1,632 tests in the DVSA record. A further 2.57% passed only after a defect was put right at the test station.
What to check before the MOT
Built from this model's own failure record, not general advice.
- Start with missing - it accounts for 29.6% of failed tests on this model.
- Then check tread depth is below minimum requirements of 1.0mm and has a serious fluid leak, the next two most common reasons.
- The most common advisory is tread depth is below minimum requirements of 1.0mm (4.5% of all tests) - not a failure, but money you will spend sooner or later.
- Average recorded mileage at test is 15,288 miles, which is the number to compare any advert against.
Pass rate by age
A single pass rate hides the most useful thing in this data: how the same model behaves at three years old and at fifteen.
| Age at test | Pass rate | Tests | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3-5 years | 95.24% | 1,009 | |
| 6-10 years | 92.28% | 622 |
Why the KTM 1290 SUPER ADVENTURE S fails
Share of failed tests on this model where the item was recorded. One test can fail on several items, so the column does not add up to 100%.
| # | Item | Of failures | Tests | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Missing | 29.6% | 16 | |
| 2 | Tread depth is below minimum requirements of 1.0mm | 18.5% | 10 | |
| 3 | Has a serious fluid leak | 16.7% | 9 | |
| 4 | Too high | 14.8% | 8 | |
| 5 | Not working | 14.8% | 8 | |
| 6 | Has negligible damping effect | 11.1% | 6 | |
| 7 | Does not conform to the specified requirements | 9.3% | 5 | |
| 8 | Indicates excessive fluctuation of brake effort | 7.4% | 4 | |
| 9 | Excessively loose | 5.6% | 3 | |
| 10 | Contaminated | 5.6% | 3 |
Most common advisories
Not a failure and not a legal requirement to fix - but an advisory that repeats year after year is money the next owner spends.
| # | Item | Of all tests | Tests | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tread depth is below minimum requirements of 1.0mm | 4.5% | 73 | |
| 2 | Indicates excessive fluctuation of brake effort | 3.1% | 50 | |
| 3 | Less than 1.0 mm thick | 2.9% | 48 | |
| 4 | Noise is clearly in excess of that emitted by a similar motorcycle fitted with a standard silencer in average condition | 2.2% | 36 | |
| 5 | Excessively loose | 1.7% | 27 | |
| 6 | Tread not clearly visible | 1.2% | 19 | |
| 7 | In such a condition that it is seriously weakened | 1% | 16 | |
| 8 | Worn to excess | 0.9% | 14 | |
| 9 | Has a serious fluid leak | 0.6% | 10 | |
| 10 | Excessively distorted | 0.5% | 8 |
KTM 1290 SUPER ADVENTURE S for sale
15 KTM 1290 SUPER ADVENTURE S adverts on MotoDealers UK right now, 305 KTM in total.
Similar bikes compared
Models of comparable capacity, so the comparison means something.
| Model | Tests | Pass rate | Avg mileage | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Triumph TIGER · 969cc | 16,144 | 91.27% | 22,934 | |
| BMW R1200 · 1,170cc | 15,691 | 94.77% | 28,205 | |
| BMW R SERIES · 1,152cc | 9,796 | 91.92% | 40,594 | |
| BMW S 1000 · 999cc | 8,445 | 91.96% | 15,282 | |
| BMW R1250 · 1,254cc | 6,764 | 96.17% | 17,373 | |
| Yamaha YZF R1 · 998cc | 6,022 | 88.01% | 23,152 |
Source: DVSA MOT testing data, 2025 · updated Aug 2026 · licence and method