Yamaha YBR 125 MOT pass rate and common failures

Yamaha YBR 125 motorcycles pass the MOT 69.68% of the time, measured across 1,946 tests in the DVSA record. A further 10.28% passed only after a defect was put right at the test station.

Worse than average: 17.2 points below the 86.87% figure for all motorcycles tested.

Pass rate 69.68% 1,356 of 1,946

Fixed at the station 10.28% passed after an on-the-spot repair

Average mileage at test 18,985 miles

Average age at test 14.73 years old

Engine 124cc MOT class 1 and 2

For sale now 0 Yamaha YBR 125 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 31% of failed tests on this model.
Then check too high and insecure, the next two most common reasons.
The most common advisory is tread depth is below minimum requirements of 1.0mm (7.3% of all tests) - not a failure, but money you will spend sooner or later.
Average recorded mileage at test is 18,985 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	69.82%		1,342
16+ years	69.61%		589

Why the Yamaha YBR 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	Not working	31%	121
2	Too high	19.7%	77
3	Insecure	17.2%	67
4	Excessively loose	14.6%	57
5	Has a serious fluid leak	14.4%	56
6	Tread depth is below minimum requirements of 1.0mm	12.6%	49
7	Not working on dipped beam	11.8%	46
8	Excessively binding	10.3%	40
9	Too low	10.3%	40
10	Projected beam image obviously incorrect	9.2%	36

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	7.3%	142
2	Excessively loose	6.9%	134
3	Worn to excess	6.1%	119
4	Has a serious fluid leak	5.7%	110
5	Noise is clearly in excess of that emitted by a similar motorcycle fitted with a standard silencer in average condition	3.6%	71
6	Excessively stiff or notchy	3.6%	70
7	Excessively deformed	3.4%	66
8	Has excessive wear or free play	3.2%	62
9	Sprocket worn to excess	2.8%	55
10	Less than 1.0 mm thick	2.8%	54

Yamaha YBR 125 for sale

No Yamaha YBR 125 in stock at the moment - 84 other Yamaha bikes are advertised.

Used Yamaha YBR 125 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 125 MOT questions

What is the MOT pass rate for the Yamaha YBR 125?+

69.68% of Yamaha YBR 125 MOT tests end in a pass, based on 1,946 tests in the DVSA dataset.

What is the most common MOT failure on a Yamaha YBR 125?+

Not working, which appears in 31% of failed tests on this model.

Does the Yamaha YBR 125 get harder to pass as it ages?+

At 16+ years old the pass rate is 69.61%, against 69.82% 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.