ARIEL NH

350cc Petrol Class 2

#414 of 5426 overall #5 of 10 ARIELs #256 of 2787 other bikes

92.3%

first-time pass rate

1.8%

failed outright

11,654

median miles at test

337

MOT tests, 2005–2025

Pass rate over time

first-time pass rate by test year · 2006–2012

The NH's first-time pass rate has fallen 6.3 points since 2006, 94.1% to 87.8%.

Pass rate by mileage

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

A low-mileage NH passes first time 91.7% of the time; by 20k that's 86.1%.

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 NH

failure defects by component group · advisories excluded

Component group	Defects	% of defects
lighting and signalling	6	42.9
steering and suspension	4	28.6
brakes	3	21.4
tyres and wheels	1	7.1

Defects recorded against failed normal tests, 2005–2025, grouped by DVSA inspection section. One test can record multiple defects.

How rivals compare

same type, similar capacity, high test volume

On first-time pass rate the NH beats 4 of its 4 closest rivals (SUZUKI AN400, SUZUKI DR-Z400S, YAMAHA RD350).

SUZUKI AN400 86.2% pass · 27.1k tests SUZUKI DR-Z400S 80.4% pass · 26.8k tests YAMAHA RD350 86.3% pass · 19.6k tests KAWASAKI ZXR400 73.1% pass · 14.2k 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 NH.

Pass rate by registration year

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

Best year to buy used: 1957 (95.3% pass). Weakest: 1955 (94.6%).

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.