Yamaha YBR MOT pass rate and common failures

Yamaha YBR motorcycles pass the MOT 72.67% of the time, measured across 2,053 tests in the DVSA record. A further 9.89% passed only after a defect was put right at the test station.

Worse than average: 14.2 points below the 86.87% figure for all motorcycles tested.

Pass rate 72.67% 1,492 of 2,053

Fixed at the station 9.89% passed after an on-the-spot repair

Average mileage at test 15,381 miles

Average age at test 10.74 years old

Engine 125cc MOT class 1 and 2

For sale now 0 Yamaha YBR 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 27.1% of failed tests on this model.
Then check too high and excessively loose, the next two most common reasons.
The most common advisory is tread depth is below minimum requirements of 1.0mm (6.9% of all tests) - not a failure, but money you will spend sooner or later.
Average recorded mileage at test is 15,381 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	72.43%	1,331
11-15 years	73.47%	652
16+ years	69.12%	68

Why the Yamaha YBR 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	27.1%	97
2	Too high	22.1%	79
3	Excessively loose	17%	61
4	Has a serious fluid leak	15.9%	57
5	Insecure	15.9%	57
6	Excessively binding	12.3%	44
7	Not working on dipped beam	12%	43
8	Tread depth is below minimum requirements of 1.0mm	11.2%	40
9	Projected beam image obviously incorrect	10.3%	37
10	Too low	8.7%	31

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	6.9%	142
2	Excessively loose	5.8%	120
3	Worn to excess	5%	102
4	Has a serious fluid leak	4.1%	85
5	Less than 1.0 mm thick	3.7%	76
6	Is bent and the brake cannot be readily applied	3.3%	67
7	Excessively deformed	3.1%	64
8	Noise is clearly in excess of that emitted by a similar motorcycle fitted with a standard silencer in average condition	2.7%	56
9	Excessively stiff or notchy	2.5%	52
10	Sprocket worn to excess	2.5%	52

Yamaha YBR for sale

No Yamaha YBR in stock at the moment - 82 other Yamaha bikes are advertised.

Used Yamaha YBR Used Yamaha All Yamaha Yamaha 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

Yamaha YBR MOT questions

What is the MOT pass rate for the Yamaha YBR?+

72.67% of Yamaha YBR MOT tests end in a pass, based on 2,053 tests in the DVSA dataset.

What is the most common MOT failure on a Yamaha YBR?+

Not working, which appears in 27.1% of failed tests on this model.

Does the Yamaha YBR get harder to pass as it ages?+

At 16+ years old the pass rate is 69.12%, against 72.43% 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.