BSA BANTAM

175cc Petrol Class 1

#1369 of 5426 overall #54 of 62 BSAs #838 of 2787 other bikes

88.7%

first-time pass rate

5.4%

failed outright

13,194

median miles at test

7,201

MOT tests, 2005–2025

Pass rate over time

first-time pass rate by test year · 2005–2018

The BANTAM's first-time pass rate has risen 5.0 points since 2005, 84.2% to 89.2%.

Pass rate by mileage

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

A low-mileage BANTAM passes first time 88.9% of the time; by 50k that's 86.3%.

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 BANTAM

failure defects by component group · advisories excluded

Component group	Defects	% of defects	vs all bikes
lighting and signalling	351	37.3	0.7×
steering and suspension	202	21.5	0.7×
tyres and wheels	119	12.7	0.6×
brakes	119	12.7	0.3×
body and structure	36	3.8	0.9×
fuel and exhaust	36	3.8	0.6×
drive system	26	2.8	0.5×
reg plates and vin	19	2	0.4×
Items Not Tested	16	1.7	1.7×
driving controls	16	1.7	0.9×

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.

Pass rate by registration year

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

Best year to buy used: 1963 (94.0% pass). Weakest: 1955 (82.6%).

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.

BSA BANTAM FAQ

answers computed from the data above · terms in the glossary

Is the BSA BANTAM reliable?

The BSA BANTAM is more reliable than average for its class: 88.7% of its 7,201 MOT tests (2005–2025) passed first time, against a class average of 73.4%. That ranks it #1369 of 5426 models.

What does a BANTAM fail its MOT on most?

lighting and signalling — 37% of all defects recorded against failed BANTAM tests.

What is the best year of BANTAM to buy used?

By first-time pass rate, 1963-registered examples do best (94.0%) and 1955 worst (82.6%). Condition and history still trump the year.

How many miles will a BANTAM last?

The median BANTAM shows 13,194 miles at test, and examples around 50k miles still pass 86.3% of the time — mileage alone rarely kills one.