LAMBRETTA SPECIAL

125cc Petrol Class 1

#1962 of 5426 overall #39 of 49 LAMBRETTAs #85 of 412 scooter bikes

86.8%

first-time pass rate

5.5%

failed outright

2,460

median miles at test

885

MOT tests, 2005–2025

Pass rate over time

first-time pass rate by test year · 2006–2017

The SPECIAL's first-time pass rate has fallen 1.3 points since 2006, 87.0% to 85.7%.

Pass rate by mileage

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

A low-mileage SPECIAL passes first time 86.7% of the time; by 30k that's 91.2%.

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 SPECIAL

failure defects by component group · advisories excluded

Component group	Defects	% of defects	vs all bikes
steering and suspension	31	33.7	1.0×
brakes	30	32.6	0.5×
lighting and signalling	18	19.6	0.4×
tyres and wheels	6	6.5	0.3×
body and structure	3	3.3	0.7×
reg plates and vin	2	2.2	0.4×
lamps and reflectors	1	1.1	0.1×
fuel and exhaust	1	1.1	0.1×

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 SPECIAL beats 4 of its 4 closest rivals (PIAGGIO VESPA, HONDA PCX 125, HONDA Vision 110).

PIAGGIO VESPA 80.7% pass · 287k tests HONDA PCX 125 81.1% pass · 88.6k tests HONDA Vision 110 78.2% pass · 50.6k tests YAMAHA NMAX 125 82.2% pass · 33.8k 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 SPECIAL.

Pass rate by registration year

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

Best year to buy used: 1968 (91.0% pass). Weakest: 1964 (81.7%).

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.

LAMBRETTA SPECIAL FAQ

answers computed from the data above · terms in the glossary

Is the LAMBRETTA SPECIAL reliable?

The LAMBRETTA SPECIAL is more reliable than average for its class: 86.8% of its 885 MOT tests (2005–2025) passed first time, against a class average of 73.4%. That ranks it #1962 of 5426 models.

What does a SPECIAL fail its MOT on most?

steering and suspension — 34% of all defects recorded against failed SPECIAL tests.

What is the best year of SPECIAL to buy used?

By first-time pass rate, 1968-registered examples do best (91.0%) and 1964 worst (81.7%). Condition and history still trump the year.

How many miles will a SPECIAL last?

The median SPECIAL shows 2,460 miles at test, and examples around 30k miles still pass 91.2% of the time — mileage alone rarely kills one.