MOT classes 1 and 2 — motorcycles up to and over 200cc, with or without a sidecar
Motorcycles MOT pass rates by make and model
Data updated
Quick answer
Motorcycles pass 86.5% of MOT tests, against 72.3% for cars, across 987,422 DVSA tests. This library covers 276 motorcycle models from 25 makes, each with its pass rate — adjusted for age and mileage where the data allows — and the failure items testers record most often. A motorcycle MOT covers lights, steering and suspension, wheels and tyres, brakes, frame, exhaust and drive chain or belt; there is no emissions meter test, only a visual check for excessive smoke.
Adjusted for age and mileage
Highest MOT pass rates
| # | Model | Adjusted | Raw | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | BMW R1200 | 94.9% | 94.4% | 9,571 |
| 2 | Honda NC | 92.5% | 90.4% | 7,951 |
| 3 | Honda VFR | 92.3% | 90.9% | 5,591 |
| 4 | BMW S 1000 | 91.8% | 92.4% | 9,340 |
| 5 | Honda CRF | 91.3% | 91.8% | 11,589 |
| 6 | Triumph Tiger | 91.2% | 91.7% | 24,657 |
| 7 | Suzuki DL | 91.2% | 91.6% | 6,486 |
| 8 | Ducati Multistrada | 90.7% | 91.9% | 5,014 |
| 9 | Triumph Bonneville | 90.0% | 91.1% | 20,800 |
| 10 | Triumph Speed | 89.9% | 90.5% | 3,903 |
Adjusted for age and mileage
Lowest MOT pass rates
| # | Model | Adjusted | Raw | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 27 | Yamaha YBR | 70.5% | 71.5% | 4,488 |
| 28 | Peugeot Speedfight | 73.6% | 73.9% | 1,684 |
| 29 | Yamaha YZF | 73.9% | 70.4% | 5,184 |
| 30 | Yamaha WR | 75.4% | 76.1% | 2,437 |
| 31 | Honda CBF | 82.5% | 81.9% | 12,844 |
| 32 | Kawasaki EX | 84.4% | 85.8% | 5,742 |
| 33 | Yamaha XT | 84.9% | 86.3% | 2,047 |
| 34 | Honda WW | 85.1% | 81.7% | 13,474 |
| 35 | Honda CBR | 85.7% | 85.1% | 17,814 |
| 36 | Suzuki GSXR | 86.0% | 86.7% | 8,090 |
36 of 276 models have observed tests across at least 60% of the motorcycle fleet’s age and mileage range and are ranked. The rest are listed with their raw rate and no rank claimed.
DVSA recorded wording
What motorcycles fail on
- A shock absorber not functioning or leaking severely17.1
- Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements16.3
- Brake lining or pad worn below 1.0mm10.2
- Significant brake effort recorded with no brake applied indicating a binding brake6.9
- Stop lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning6.7
- A transmission belt, chain, sprocket or pulley excessively loose or worn6.6
- A headlamp missing, inoperative or more than ½ not functioning in the case of LED6.4
- A direction indicator lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning6.3
- Reflector missing or reflecting white to the rear6.1
- The aim of a headlamp is not within limits laid down in the requirements6.0
Items per 100 failed tests across the whole motorcycle fleet. One failed test can list several items.
Every make
Browse by make
Honda
87.8% adjusted · 49 models
Yamaha
80.4% adjusted · 53 models
Triumph
90.0% adjusted · 20 models
- Tiger · 91%
- Bonneville · 90%
- Speed Triple · 88%
- Sprint · 87%
- Street · 91%
- Street Triple · 88%
- all 20 →
BMW
93.4% adjusted · 25 models
Suzuki
88.7% adjusted · 25 models
Kawasaki
88.1% adjusted · 20 models
Piaggio
86.8% adjusted · 9 models
- Vespa · 87%
- ZIP · 76%
- Liberty 125 · 76%
- PX 125 (vespa) · 86%
- PX 200 E · 91%
- T5 · 89%
- all 9 →
Ducati
90.7% adjusted · 12 models
- Multistrada · 91%
- Scrambler · 91%
- Diavel · 92%
- M · 87%
- Monster · 89%
- Multistrada V4S · 94%
- all 12 →
Harley Davidson
89.3% unadjusted · 15 models
Royal Enfield
91.2% unadjusted · 9 models
- Interceptor INT 650 · 91%
- Meteor 350 E5 · 94%
- Himalayan · 90%
- Interceptor INT 650 E5 · 91%
- Himalayan E5 · 87%
- Classic 350 E5 · 94%
- all 9 →
Ktm
86.7% unadjusted · 8 models
- 1290 · 93%
- 125 · 72%
- 1190 · 91%
- 690 · 88%
- 125 DUKE 21 · 74%
- 790 DUKE 19 · 90%
- all 8 →
Aprilia
89.6% adjusted · 3 models
Lexmoto
67.2% unadjusted · 7 models
- Michigan · 71%
- LXR 125 SY 125-10 · 62%
- LXR 125 · 63%
- Milano · 75%
- ECHO 50 E4 · 62%
- Venom · 62%
- all 7 →
Peugeot
73.6% adjusted · 4 models
- Speedfight · 74%
- Kisbee · 72%
- Tweet · 79%
- Django · 83%
Benelli
75.8% unadjusted · 3 models
- Tornado Naked T 125 · 75%
- BN 125 E5 · 74%
- Tornado Naked T 125 E5 · 79%
Keeway
64.9% unadjusted · 1 model
- Superlight · 65%
Moto Guzzi
90.4% unadjusted · 2 models
- V7 · 91%
- California · 89%
Lml
85.9% unadjusted · 2 models
- STAR · 87%
- STAR Deluxe · 85%
Beta
83.4% unadjusted · 2 models
Ajs
77.2% unadjusted · 1 model
- Modena · 77%
Indian Motorcycle
92.5% unadjusted · 2 models
- Scout Bobber · 91%
- Scout · 94%
Gilera
84.5% unadjusted · 1 model
- Runner · 85%
Royal Alloy
85.5% unadjusted · 1 model
- GT 125I · 85%
Vmoto
94.3% unadjusted · 1 model
- CPA · 94%
Mutt
67.7% unadjusted · 1 model
- Mongrel 125 · 68%
How this was worked out
Method and limits
Source: the DVSA anonymised MOT testing dataset under the Open Government Licence, mot classes 1 and 2 — motorcycles up to and over 200cc, with or without a sidecar, normal tests only, retests and abandoned tests excluded. Models need at least 500 tests to have a page. Trim and displacement variants are grouped into their model family from observed volume.
Adjusted rates are directly standardised onto the motorcycle fleet’s own age and mileage profile, with mileage bands set for motorcycles (0-5k, 5-10k, 10-20k, 20-40k, 40k+) rather than borrowed from cars. A model is ranked only when its observed cells cover at least 60% of that profile. Motorcycles are never compared with cars: the two tests, fleets and lives are too different for the number to mean anything.
Common questions
- Do motorcycles need an MOT?
- Yes. A motorcycle needs its first MOT at three years old and annually after that, the same as a car. It is tested as class 1 (up to 200cc) or class 2 (over 200cc, and any bike with a sidecar). Not every MOT station tests motorcycles; those that do display the classes they are approved for.
- What is the MOT pass rate for motorcycles?
- 86.5% across 987,422 tests, against 72.3% for cars. Bikes are simpler, lighter, ridden less and often kept indoors, and the test has no emissions meter reading — only a visual smoke check — so a large category of car failures does not exist.
- What do motorcycles fail the MOT on?
- "A shock absorber not functioning or leaking severely" is recorded most often, 17 times per 100 failed tests, followed by "Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements". Suspension, tyres, brakes and lighting dominate, and the drive chain and sprockets appear in a way they never can on a car.
- Which motorcycle has the best MOT pass rate?
- Ranked among 36 models with enough spread of ages and mileages to compare fairly, the BMW R1200 passes most often at 94.9% adjusted, and the Yamaha YBR least at 70.5%.
- Why are model names like CBR and MT shown as families?
- Because that is how the DVSA record and the market both work. The extract records a Honda as CBR600RR, CBR650R or CBR1000RR-R, and riders talk about the CBR line; grouping by family gives each page enough tests to say something, where splitting every displacement and year would leave hundreds of pages too thin to read.
Analysis built from DVSA data of