SYM ORBIT III 125 MOT pass rate and common failures

SYM ORBIT III 125 motorcycles pass the MOT 72.38% of the time, measured across 239 tests in the DVSA record. A further 5.86% passed only after a defect was put right at the test station.

Worse than average: 14.5 points below the 86.87% figure for all motorcycles tested.

Pass rate 72.38% 173 of 239

Fixed at the station 5.86% passed after an on-the-spot repair

Average mileage at test 9,965 miles

Average age at test 3.42 years old

Engine 125cc MOT class 1 and 2

For sale now 0 SYM ORBIT III 125 adverts

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 44.2% of failed tests on this model.
Then check has a serious fluid leak and remains on when the brakes are released, the next two most common reasons.
The most common advisory is has a serious fluid leak (10.5% of all tests) - not a failure, but money you will spend sooner or later.
Average recorded mileage at test is 9,965 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	72.38%		239

Why the SYM ORBIT III 125 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	44.2%	23
2	Has a serious fluid leak	28.8%	15
3	Remains on when the brakes are released	25%	13
4	Missing	19.2%	10
5	Not working	19.2%	10
6	Insecure	15.4%	8
7	Has excessive wear or free play	13.5%	7
8	Excessively binding	11.5%	6
9	Less than 1.0 mm thick	9.6%	5
10	Not working on dipped beam	9.6%	5

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	Has a serious fluid leak	10.5%	25
2	Is bent and the brake cannot be readily applied	10.5%	25
3	Tread depth is below minimum requirements of 1.0mm	10%	24
4	Less than 1.0 mm thick	3.8%	9
5	Tread not clearly visible	3.3%	8
6	Excessively stiff or notchy	2.9%	7
7	Significantly and obviously worn	2.9%	7
8	Excessively binding	2.5%	6
9	Indicates excessive fluctuation of brake effort	2.1%	5
10	Is so short that the brake cannot be readily applied	1.7%	4

SYM ORBIT III 125 for sale

No SYM ORBIT III 125 in stock at the moment - 9,173 other SYM bikes are advertised.

Used SYM ORBIT III 125 Used SYM All SYM SYM MOT statistics

Similar bikes compared

Models of comparable capacity, so the comparison means something.

Model	Tests	Pass rate	Avg mileage
Yamaha GPD125-A NMAX 125 · 125cc	8,762	80.8%	45,039
Piaggio VESPA 79-210cc · 79-210cc	8,363	85.42%	11,710
Honda WW · 125cc	7,252	80.32%	40,134
Honda WW 125 A-M · 125cc	5,011	84.06%	29,846
Honda GLR · 125cc	4,737	79.99%	14,642
Honda CBF 100-125cc · 100-125cc	3,204	77%	15,203

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

SYM ORBIT III 125 MOT questions

What is the MOT pass rate for the SYM ORBIT III 125?+

72.38% of SYM ORBIT III 125 MOT tests end in a pass, based on 239 tests in the DVSA dataset.

What is the most common MOT failure on a SYM ORBIT III 125?+

Tread depth is below minimum requirements of 1.0mm, which appears in 44.2% of failed tests on this model.

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.