BIKERELIABILITY Reg check
League table/ LAMBRETTA/SPECIAL
Model report · 2005–2025

LAMBRETTA SPECIAL

125cc Petrol Class 1
#1962 of 5428 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
+5.7pp
vs expected · age & mileage

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.

“vs expected” adjusts for age, mileage and test class, so a cherished classic and a hard-used commuter are compared fairly. How this works.

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%.

75%87%100%2006: 87.0% pass (46 tests)2007: 86.8% pass (53 tests)2008: 97.0% pass (66 tests)2009: 85.7% pass (63 tests)2010: 86.2% pass (65 tests)2011: 79.2% pass (72 tests)2012: 90.3% pass (72 tests)2013: 89.0% pass (82 tests)2014: 82.8% pass (87 tests)2015: 89.0% pass (82 tests)2016: 85.9% pass (64 tests)2017: 85.7% pass (70 tests)20062017

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%.

79%86%93%0k: 86.7% pass (649 tests)10k: 88.4% pass (95 tests)20k: 81.3% pass (64 tests)30k: 91.2% pass (34 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 SPECIAL

failure defects by component group · advisories excluded
Component group Share of defects 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 Compare head-to-head →
HONDA PCX 125 81.1% pass · 88.6k tests Compare head-to-head →
HONDA Vision 110 78.1% pass · 50.9k tests Compare head-to-head →
YAMAHA NMAX 125 82.2% pass · 33.8k 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 SPECIAL.

Compare with any bike

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

More LAMBRETTA models

other LAMBRETTA bikes ranked by MOT pass rate
LAMBRETTA LI125 87.4% pass · 21.3k tests
LAMBRETTA GP200 87.8% pass · 19.9k tests
LAMBRETTA LI150 88.8% pass · 19.3k tests
LAMBRETTA GP150 87.6% pass · 12.1k tests
LAMBRETTA GP125 86.7% pass · 11.7k tests
LAMBRETTA LI 87.7% pass · 8,752 tests

See all LAMBRETTA models →

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%).

80%86%93%1963: 85.0% pass (60 tests)1964: 81.7% pass (104 tests)1965: 90.2% pass (163 tests)1966: 87.7% pass (235 tests)1967: 86.4% pass (118 tests)1968: 91.0% pass (89 tests)196319661968

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 5428 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.

Embed this bike

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