Triumph BONNEVILLE 642-904cc MOT pass rate and common failures

Triumph BONNEVILLE 642-904cc motorcycles pass the MOT 90.8% of the time, measured across 12,456 tests in the DVSA record. A further 4.66% passed only after a defect was put right at the test station.

Calculated from DVSA records for Triumph BONNEVILLE, 642-904cc.

Better than average: 3.9 points above the 86.87% figure for all motorcycles tested.
Pass rate 90.8% 11,310 of 12,456
Fixed at the station 4.66% passed after an on-the-spot repair
Average mileage at test 12,824 miles
Average age at test 12.95 years old
Engine 862cc MOT class 1 and 2
For sale now 0 Triumph BONNEVILLE 642-904cc 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 40.5% of failed tests on this model.
  • Then check missing and too high, the next two most common reasons.
  • The most common advisory is tread depth is below minimum requirements of 1.0mm (4.9% of all tests) - not a failure, but money you will spend sooner or later.
  • Average recorded mileage at test is 12,824 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 92.61% 853
6-10 years 91.67% 5,105
11-15 years 90.98% 2,906
16+ years 88.98% 3,592

Why the Triumph BONNEVILLE 642-904cc 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 40.5% 229
2 Missing 24.2% 137
3 Too high 24.1% 136
4 Too low 16.6% 94
5 Tread depth is below minimum requirements of 1.0mm 15.8% 89
6 Less than 1.0 mm thick 15.4% 87
7 Does not conform to the specified requirements 13.3% 75
8 Not working on dipped beam 10.8% 61
9 Insecure 9.4% 53
10 Excessively binding 8.7% 49

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 4.9% 610
2 Noise is clearly in excess of that emitted by a similar motorcycle fitted with a standard silencer in average condition 4.8% 596
3 Less than 1.0 mm thick 4% 500
4 Excessively loose 2% 247
5 Indicates excessive fluctuation of brake effort 1.8% 225
6 Excessively binding 1.2% 150
7 Tread not clearly visible 0.9% 116
8 Excessively stiff or notchy 0.9% 115
9 Worn to excess 0.9% 106
10 Has a serious fluid leak 0.6% 75

Triumph BONNEVILLE 642-904cc for sale

No Triumph BONNEVILLE 642-904cc in stock at the moment - 108 other Triumph 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 S 1000 · 999cc 8,445 91.96% 15,282
Yamaha YZF R1 · 998cc 6,022 88.01% 23,152
Yamaha MT 800-1000cc · 800-1000cc 5,720 90.98% 16,130
Honda NC · 741cc 5,311 89.53% 22,765
Triumph SPRINT · 1,015cc 5,210 86.68% 29,928

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

Triumph BONNEVILLE 642-904cc MOT questions

What is the MOT pass rate for the Triumph BONNEVILLE 642-904cc?+
90.8% of Triumph BONNEVILLE 642-904cc MOT tests end in a pass, based on 12,456 tests in the DVSA dataset.
What is the most common MOT failure on a Triumph BONNEVILLE 642-904cc?+
Not working, which appears in 40.5% of failed tests on this model.
Does the Triumph BONNEVILLE 642-904cc get harder to pass as it ages?+
At 16+ years old the pass rate is 88.98%, against 92.61% for examples 3-5 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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