Royal Enfield CONTINENTAL MOT pass rate and common failures

Royal Enfield CONTINENTAL motorcycles pass the MOT 87.7% of the time, measured across 366 tests in the DVSA record. A further 7.1% passed only after a defect was put right at the test station.

About average - within 0.8 points of the 86.87% figure for all motorcycles tested.
Pass rate 87.7% 321 of 366
Fixed at the station 7.1% passed after an on-the-spot repair
Average mileage at test 6,268 miles
Average age at test 9.86 years old
Engine 536cc MOT class 2
For sale now 0 Royal Enfield CONTINENTAL adverts

What to check before the MOT

Built from this model's own failure record, not general advice.

  • Start with not working - it accounts for 63.2% of failed tests on this model.
  • Then check does not conform to the specified requirements and too high, the next two most common reasons.
  • The most common advisory is noise is clearly in excess of that emitted by a similar motorcycle fitted with a standard silencer in average condition (5.5% of all tests) - not a failure, but money you will spend sooner or later.
  • Average recorded mileage at test is 6,268 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
6-10 years 87.87% 305
11-15 years 85.71% 56

Why the Royal Enfield CONTINENTAL 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 Not working 63.2% 12
2 Does not conform to the specified requirements 47.4% 9
3 Too high 36.8% 7
4 Missing 26.3% 5
5 Too low 21.1% 4
6 Incorrectly seated on the wheel rim 15.8% 3
7 Pin or bush excessively worn 15.8% 3
8 Flashing more than 120 times a minute 10.5% 2
9 Noise is clearly in excess of that emitted by a similar motorcycle fitted with a standard silencer in average condition 10.5% 2
10 Obviously incorrectly positioned 10.5% 2

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 Noise is clearly in excess of that emitted by a similar motorcycle fitted with a standard silencer in average condition 5.5% 20
2 Tread depth is below minimum requirements of 1.0mm 3.6% 13
3 Less than 1.0 mm thick 2.2% 8
4 Has a serious fluid leak 1.1% 4
5 Indicates excessive fluctuation of brake effort 1.1% 4
6 Worn to excess 1.1% 4
7 Excessively stiff or notchy 0.8% 3
8 Excessively binding 0.5% 2
9 Excessively loose 0.5% 2
10 Has excessive play 0.5% 2

Royal Enfield CONTINENTAL for sale

No Royal Enfield CONTINENTAL in stock at the moment - 623 other Royal Enfield bikes are advertised.

Similar bikes compared

Models of comparable capacity, so the comparison means something.

Model Tests Pass rate   Avg mileage
Honda CB 397-750cc · 397-750cc 5,400 89.76% 19,444
Suzuki GSF600 · 600cc 4,890 80% 29,308
Honda CBR600F · 599cc 4,710 85.56% 30,651
Kawasaki ZX-6R · 599-636cc 4,510 81.62% 26,019
Suzuki SV650 · 646cc 3,834 80.99% 27,644
Suzuki GSXR600 · 599cc 3,831 81.83% 25,077

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

Royal Enfield CONTINENTAL MOT questions

What is the MOT pass rate for the Royal Enfield CONTINENTAL?+
87.7% of Royal Enfield CONTINENTAL MOT tests end in a pass, based on 366 tests in the DVSA dataset.
What is the most common MOT failure on a Royal Enfield CONTINENTAL?+
Not working, which appears in 63.2% of failed tests on this model.
Does the Royal Enfield CONTINENTAL get harder to pass as it ages?+
At 11-15 years old the pass rate is 85.71%, against 87.87% for examples 6-10 years old.
Where does this data come from?+
From the DVSA anonymised MOT testing dataset, which records every MOT carried out in England, Scotland and Wales. It is published under the Open Government Licence and covers 2025.
Does a high pass rate mean the bike is reliable?+
Not by itself. The MOT checks safety items - brakes, tyres, lights, structure - and says nothing about engines, gearboxes or electrics. Read it as a maintenance signal, not a reliability score.
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