Triumph SPEEDMASTER MOT pass rate and common failures

Triumph SPEEDMASTER motorcycles pass the MOT 86.42% of the time, measured across 626 tests in the DVSA record. A further 6.71% passed only after a defect was put right at the test station.

About average - within 0.5 points of the 86.87% figure for all motorcycles tested.

Pass rate 86.42% 541 of 626

Fixed at the station 6.71% passed after an on-the-spot repair

Average mileage at test 17,509 miles

Average age at test 16.32 years old

Engine 873cc MOT class 2

For sale now 0 Triumph SPEEDMASTER 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 32.6% of failed tests on this model.
Then check too high and flashing more than 120 times a minute, the next two most common reasons.
Age matters here: 91.07% of 6-10 year old examples pass, against 85.25% at 16+ years - a gap of 5.8 points.
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 (12.8% of all tests) - not a failure, but money you will spend sooner or later.
Average recorded mileage at test is 17,509 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	91.07%	56
11-15 years	87.05%	224
16+ years	85.25%	339

Why the Triumph SPEEDMASTER 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	32.6%	14
2	Too high	25.6%	11
3	Flashing more than 120 times a minute	20.9%	9
4	Tread depth is below minimum requirements of 1.0mm	20.9%	9
5	Does not conform to the specified requirements	18.6%	8
6	Missing	16.3%	7
7	Does not illuminate by the operation of both brake controls	14%	6
8	Indicates excessive fluctuation of brake effort	11.6%	5
9	Less than 1.0 mm thick	11.6%	5
10	Has a tear caused by separation or partial failure of its structure	9.3%	4

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	12.8%	80
2	Less than 1.0 mm thick	5.1%	32
3	Tread depth is below minimum requirements of 1.0mm	4%	25
4	Excessively binding	3.2%	20
5	Indicates excessive fluctuation of brake effort	1.9%	12
6	Excessively loose	1.8%	11
7	Excessively stiff or notchy	1.8%	11
8	Excessively distorted	1.1%	7
9	Worn to excess	1%	6
10	Excessively corroded	0.8%	5

Triumph SPEEDMASTER for sale

No Triumph SPEEDMASTER in stock at the moment - 107 other Triumph bikes are advertised.

Used Triumph SPEEDMASTER Used Triumph All Triumph Triumph MOT statistics

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
Triumph BONNEVILLE 642-904cc · 642-904cc	12,456	90.8%	12,824
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

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

Triumph SPEEDMASTER MOT questions

What is the MOT pass rate for the Triumph SPEEDMASTER?+

86.42% of Triumph SPEEDMASTER MOT tests end in a pass, based on 626 tests in the DVSA dataset.

What is the most common MOT failure on a Triumph SPEEDMASTER?+

Not working, which appears in 32.6% of failed tests on this model.

Does the Triumph SPEEDMASTER get harder to pass as it ages?+

At 16+ years old the pass rate is 85.25%, against 91.07% 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.