APRILIA RS 250

249cc Petrol Class 2

#2089 of 5426 overall #25 of 128 APRILIAs #1277 of 2787 other bikes

86.4%

first-time pass rate

8.2%

failed outright

10,400

median miles at test

6,067

MOT tests, 2005–2025

Pass rate over time

first-time pass rate by test year · 2005–2025

The RS 250's first-time pass rate has risen 8.5 points since 2005, 86.0% to 94.5%.

Pass rate by mileage

how the RS 250's first-time pass rate falls with the odometer · class average 84.9%

A low-mileage RS 250 passes first time 89.0% of the time; by 30k that's 81.4%.

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 RS 250

failure defects by component group · advisories excluded

Component group	Defects	% of defects	vs all bikes
lighting and signalling	394	37.6	1.1×
steering and suspension	186	17.7	0.8×
brakes	169	16.1	0.5×
reg plates and vin	65	6.2	1.5×
tyres and wheels	56	5.3	0.4×
lamps and reflectors	48	4.6	0.4×
body and structure	45	4.3	1.2×
drive system	35	3.3	0.6×
fuel and exhaust	26	2.5	0.5×
structure and attachments	24	2.3	0.4×

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 RS 250 beats 4 of its 4 closest rivals (YAMAHA YP250, YAMAHA WR250F, HONDA XR250).

YAMAHA YP250 82.5% pass · 12.4k tests YAMAHA WR250F 78.0% pass · 10.5k tests HONDA XR250 78.8% pass · 9,277 tests HONDA CBF250 84.9% pass · 7,536 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 RS 250.

Pass rate by registration year

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

Best year to buy used: 2003 (94.1% pass). Weakest: 1995 (82.2%).

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 RS 250 FAQ

answers computed from the data above · terms in the glossary

Is the APRILIA RS 250 reliable?

The APRILIA RS 250 is about average for its class: 86.4% of its 6,067 MOT tests (2005–2025) passed first time, against a class average of 84.9%. That ranks it #2089 of 5426 models.

What does a RS 250 fail its MOT on most?

lighting and signalling — 38% of all defects recorded against failed RS 250 tests.

What is the best year of RS 250 to buy used?

By first-time pass rate, 2003-registered examples do best (94.1%) and 1995 worst (82.2%). Condition and history still trump the year.

How many miles will a RS 250 last?

The median RS 250 shows 10,400 miles at test, and examples around 30k miles still pass 81.4% of the time — mileage alone rarely kills one.