BIKERELIABILITY Reg check
League table/ BSA/C11
Model report · 2005–2025

BSA C11

250cc Petrol Class 2
#1937 of 5428 overall #59 of 62 BSAs #1174 of 2788 other bikes
86.9%
first-time pass rate
7.2%
failed outright
9,950
median miles at test
458
MOT tests, 2005–2025

The pass rate is the MOT first-time pass: a roadworthiness check of the items an MOT covers (brakes, lights, tyres, steering, structure, emissions), not a full mechanical inspection of engine or gearbox internals. It is a reliability signal, not a complete measure of mechanical reliability. What this measures.

Pass rate over time

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

The C11's first-time pass rate has fallen 2.1 points since 2006, 93.2% to 91.1%.

74%86%97%2006: 93.2% pass (73 tests)2007: 78.9% pass (57 tests)2008: 91.2% pass (57 tests)2009: 89.3% pass (56 tests)2010: 87.9% pass (58 tests)2011: 78.2% pass (55 tests)2012: 91.1% pass (56 tests)20062012

Pass rate by mileage

how the C11's first-time pass rate falls with the odometer · class average 84.9%

A low-mileage C11 passes first time 84.8% of the time; by 30k that's 87.8%.

84%87%90%0k: 84.8% pass (224 tests)10k: 86.2% pass (58 tests)20k: 89.5% pass (76 tests)30k: 87.8% pass (41 tests)0k20k30k

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 C11

failure defects by component group · advisories excluded
Component group Share of defects Defects % of defects
steering and suspension
25 31.6
lighting and signalling
22 27.8
brakes
16 20.3
tyres and wheels
7 8.9
drive system
3 3.8
fuel and exhaust
2 2.5
driving controls
2 2.5
body and structure
2 2.5

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 C11 beats 4 of its 4 closest rivals (YAMAHA YP250, YAMAHA WR250F, HONDA XR250).

YAMAHA YP250 82.5% pass · 12.4k tests Compare head-to-head →
YAMAHA WR250F 78.0% pass · 10.5k tests Compare head-to-head →
HONDA XR250 78.8% pass · 9,277 tests Compare head-to-head →
HONDA CBF250 84.9% pass · 7,536 tests Compare head-to-head →

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 C11.

Compare with any bike

rival not listed above? pick any model to see it head-to-head with the C11

More BSA models

other BSA bikes ranked by MOT pass rate
BSA A10 91.6% pass · 10.2k tests
BSA BANTAM 88.7% pass · 7,202 tests
BSA C15 89.2% pass · 5,895 tests
BSA A65 90.9% pass · 5,064 tests
BSA B31 92.0% pass · 3,429 tests
BSA B40 90.6% pass · 3,360 tests

See all BSA models →

Pass rate by registration year

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

Best year to buy used: 1953 (89.0% pass). Weakest: 1953 (89.0%).

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.

Embed this bike

Free to embed on your site, blog or forum — a live Bsa C11 reliability card that stays up to date and links back here. More on the free API page.