APRILIA AREA 51

49cc Petrol Class 1

#4741 of 5426 overall #85 of 128 APRILIAs #245 of 455 moped bikes

69.9%

first-time pass rate

21.7%

failed outright

7,696

median miles at test

1,151

MOT tests, 2005–2025

Pass rate over time

first-time pass rate by test year · 2005–2014

The AREA 51's first-time pass rate has fallen 8.0 points since 2005, 72.6% to 64.6%.

Pass rate by mileage

how the AREA 51's first-time pass rate falls with the odometer · class average 73.4%

A low-mileage AREA 51 passes first time 74.3% of the time; by 20k that's 60.4%.

First-time pass rate by odometer reading at test, 10,000-mile bands for this model. Mileage is the strongest reliability signal. See the full curve.

What fails on a AREA 51

failure defects by component group · advisories excluded

Component group	Defects	% of defects	vs all bikes
lighting and signalling	197	30.1	2.8×
steering and suspension	179	27.3	3.2×
brakes	145	22.1	1.9×
fuel and exhaust	48	7.3	4.9×
tyres and wheels	36	5.5	1.3×
reg plates and vin	20	3.1	2.9×
body and structure	17	2.6	2.9×
lamps and reflectors	6	0.9	0.2×
driving controls	4	0.6	1.5×
suspension	3	0.5	0.2×

Defects recorded against failed normal tests, 2005–2025, grouped by DVSA inspection section. One test can record multiple defects. "vs all bikes" is how often this model's tests record a defect in the group, as a multiple of the all-bike rate.

How rivals compare

same type, similar capacity, high test volume

On first-time pass rate the AREA 51 beats 2 of its 4 closest rivals (PEUGEOT SPEEDFIGHT, PIAGGIO ZIP, PIAGGIO NRG).

PEUGEOT SPEEDFIGHT 65.2% pass · 83.7k tests PIAGGIO ZIP 71.3% pass · 79.0k tests PIAGGIO NRG 65.5% pass · 40.5k tests PEUGEOT VIVACITY 70.4% pass · 29.7k tests

Rivals share this bike's type and sit within ±30% of its engine capacity, ≥ 5,000 tests. Card colour = better/worse first-time pass rate than the AREA 51.

Pass rate by registration year

how each model-year cohort fares · registration year from first use date

Best year to buy used: 1998 (85.0% pass). Weakest: 2001 (61.6%).

First-time pass rate by the year each bike was first registered (cohorts with ≥ 50 tests). Older cohorts are survivors: the worst examples have already left the road, which tends to lift the earliest years.

APRILIA AREA 51 FAQ

answers computed from the data above · terms in the glossary

Is the APRILIA AREA 51 reliable?

The APRILIA AREA 51 is less reliable than average for its class: 69.9% of its 1,151 MOT tests (2005–2025) passed first time, against a class average of 73.4%. That ranks it #4741 of 5426 models.

What does a AREA 51 fail its MOT on most?

lighting and signalling — 30% of all defects recorded against failed AREA 51 tests.

What is the best year of AREA 51 to buy used?

By first-time pass rate, 1998-registered examples do best (85.0%) and 2001 worst (61.6%). Condition and history still trump the year.

How many miles will a AREA 51 last?

The median AREA 51 shows 7,696 miles at test, and examples around 20k miles still pass 60.4% of the time — mileage alone rarely kills one.