KTM 1290 SUPER ADVENTURE S 21 MOT pass rate and common failures
KTM 1290 SUPER ADVENTURE S 21 motorcycles pass the MOT 96.23% of the time, measured across 477 tests in the DVSA record. A further 1.05% 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 tread depth is below minimum requirements of 1.0mm - it accounts for 30.8% of failed tests on this model.
- Then check too high 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 (5.2% of all tests) - not a failure, but money you will spend sooner or later.
- Average recorded mileage at test is 12,894 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 | 96.23% | 477 |
Why the KTM 1290 SUPER ADVENTURE S 21 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 | Tread depth is below minimum requirements of 1.0mm | 30.8% | 4 | |
| 2 | Too high | 23.1% | 3 | |
| 3 | Has a serious fluid leak | 15.4% | 2 | |
| 4 | Does not conform to the specified requirements | 7.7% | 1 | |
| 5 | Excessively binding | 7.7% | 1 | |
| 6 | Excessively distorted | 7.7% | 1 | |
| 7 | Has insufficient reserve travel | 7.7% | 1 | |
| 8 | Has negligible damping effect | 7.7% | 1 | |
| 9 | Incorrect | 7.7% | 1 | |
| 10 | Indicates excessive fluctuation of brake effort | 7.7% | 1 |
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 | 5.2% | 25 | |
| 2 | Indicates excessive fluctuation of brake effort | 3.4% | 16 | |
| 3 | Less than 1.0 mm thick | 3.1% | 15 | |
| 4 | Excessively loose | 2.3% | 11 | |
| 5 | Noise is clearly in excess of that emitted by a similar motorcycle fitted with a standard silencer in average condition | 1.5% | 7 | |
| 6 | In such a condition that it is seriously weakened | 1% | 5 | |
| 7 | Tread not clearly visible | 1% | 5 | |
| 8 | Sprocket worn to excess | 0.8% | 4 | |
| 9 | Excessively binding | 0.6% | 3 | |
| 10 | Has a serious fluid leak | 0.6% | 3 |
KTM 1290 SUPER ADVENTURE S 21 for sale
No KTM 1290 SUPER ADVENTURE S 21 in stock at the moment - 297 other KTM bikes are advertised.
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 R SERIES · 1,152cc | 9,796 | 91.92% | 40,594 | |
| BMW R1200 · 1,170cc | 9,521 | 94.43% | 28,830 | |
| BMW S 1000 · 999cc | 8,445 | 91.96% | 15,282 | |
| BMW R1250 · 1,254cc | 6,764 | 96.17% | 17,373 | |
| BMW R 1200 · 1,170cc | 6,170 | 95.28% | 27,241 |
Source: DVSA MOT testing data, 2025 · updated Aug 2026 · licence and method