Yamaha FZ1S MOT pass rate and common failures

Yamaha FZ1S motorcycles pass the MOT 89.16% of the time, measured across 655 tests in the DVSA record. A further 4.27% passed only after a defect was put right at the test station.

About average - within 2.3 points of the 86.87% figure for all motorcycles tested.
Pass rate 89.16% 584 of 655
Fixed at the station 4.27% passed after an on-the-spot repair
Average mileage at test 29,181 miles
Average age at test 17.09 years old
Engine 998cc MOT class 2
For sale now 0 Yamaha FZ1S adverts

What to check before the MOT

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

  • Start with missing - it accounts for 37.2% of failed tests on this model.
  • Then check not working and has a serious fluid leak, the next two most common reasons.
  • Age matters here: 93.33% of 11-15 year old examples pass, against 88.08% at 16+ years - a gap of 5.3 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 (9.3% of all tests) - not a failure, but money you will spend sooner or later.
  • Average recorded mileage at test is 29,181 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
11-15 years 93.33% 135
16+ years 88.08% 520

Why the Yamaha FZ1S 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 Missing 37.2% 16
2 Not working 37.2% 16
3 Has a serious fluid leak 20.9% 9
4 Does not illuminate simultaneously with the position lamp(s) 14% 6
5 Tread depth is below minimum requirements of 1.0mm 14% 6
6 Does not illuminate by the operation of both brake controls 11.6% 5
7 Inoperative in the case of a single lamp or all lamps 11.6% 5
8 Does not conform to the specified requirements 9.3% 4
9 Excessively loose 7% 3
10 Grip insecure to handlebar 7% 3

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 9.3% 61
2 Tread depth is below minimum requirements of 1.0mm 7.6% 50
3 Indicates excessive fluctuation of brake effort 3.1% 20
4 Has an excessively worn bush 2.7% 18
5 Less than 1.0 mm thick 2.6% 17
6 Component pin or bush excessively worn 2.1% 14
7 Pin or bush excessively worn 2.1% 14
8 Excessively loose 2% 13
9 Excessively distorted 1.5% 10
10 Has a serious fluid leak 1.4% 9

Yamaha FZ1S for sale

No Yamaha FZ1S in stock at the moment - 83 other Yamaha 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
Triumph BONNEVILLE 642-904cc · 642-904cc 12,456 90.8% 12,824
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

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

Yamaha FZ1S MOT questions

What is the MOT pass rate for the Yamaha FZ1S?+
89.16% of Yamaha FZ1S MOT tests end in a pass, based on 655 tests in the DVSA dataset.
What is the most common MOT failure on a Yamaha FZ1S?+
Missing, which appears in 37.2% of failed tests on this model.
Does the Yamaha FZ1S get harder to pass as it ages?+
At 16+ years old the pass rate is 88.08%, against 93.33% for examples 11-15 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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