BIKERELIABILITY Reg check
League table/ MOTO ROMA/ROADRUNNER 50
Model report · 2005–2025

MOTO ROMA ROADRUNNER 50

49cc Petrol Class 1
#4556 of 5428 overall #3 of 10 MOTO ROMAs #191 of 456 moped bikes
72.3%
first-time pass rate
20.0%
failed outright
6,860
median miles at test
701
MOT tests, 2005–2025
-1.5pp
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 · 2006–2012

The ROADRUNNER 50's first-time pass rate has risen 7.1 points since 2006, 75.4% to 82.5%.

53%71%89%2006: 75.4% pass (118 tests)2007: 74.5% pass (106 tests)2008: 73.3% pass (105 tests)2009: 68.4% pass (79 tests)2010: 71.2% pass (66 tests)2011: 58.5% pass (65 tests)2012: 82.5% pass (40 tests)20062012

What fails on a ROADRUNNER 50

failure defects by component group · advisories excluded
Component group Share of defects Defects % of defects vs all bikes
lighting and signalling
116 33.4 2.4×
brakes
84 24.2 2.0×
steering and suspension
75 21.6 2.7×
tyres and wheels
32 9.2 1.8×
fuel and exhaust
19 5.5 3.4×
reg plates and vin
9 2.6 1.2×
body and structure
5 1.4 1.5×
driving controls
4 1.2 2.4×
Items Not Tested
2 0.6 3.1×
steering
1 0.3 0.3×

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 ROADRUNNER 50 beats 4 of its 4 closest rivals (PEUGEOT SPEEDFIGHT, PIAGGIO ZIP, PIAGGIO NRG).

PEUGEOT SPEEDFIGHT 65.2% pass · 83.7k tests Compare head-to-head →
PIAGGIO ZIP 71.3% pass · 79.0k tests Compare head-to-head →
PIAGGIO NRG 65.5% pass · 40.5k tests Compare head-to-head →
PEUGEOT VIVACITY 70.4% pass · 29.7k 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 ROADRUNNER 50.

Compare with any bike

rival not listed above? pick any model to see it head-to-head with the Roadrunner 50

More MOTO ROMA models

other MOTO ROMA bikes ranked by MOT pass rate
MOTO ROMA VIRAGE 125 64.8% pass · 823 tests
MOTO ROMA GO GO 50 70.8% pass · 791 tests
MOTO ROMA MRX 125 53.2% pass · 600 tests
MOTO ROMA WASP 75.2% pass · 581 tests
MOTO ROMA SK 125 58.7% pass · 465 tests
MOTO ROMA ROADRUNNER 100 73.9% pass · 436 tests

See all MOTO ROMA models →

Pass rate by registration year

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

Best year to buy used: 2001 (77.0% pass). Weakest: 2002 (65.7%).

63%71%79%2001: 77.0% pass (100 tests)2002: 65.7% pass (134 tests)2003: 72.5% pass (131 tests)2004: 74.2% pass (132 tests)2005: 74.0% pass (100 tests)200120032005

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.

MOTO ROMA ROADRUNNER 50 FAQ

answers computed from the data above · terms in the glossary

Is the MOTO ROMA ROADRUNNER 50 reliable?

The MOTO ROMA ROADRUNNER 50 is about average for its class: 72.3% of its 701 MOT tests (2005–2025) passed first time, against a class average of 73.4%. That ranks it #4556 of 5428 models.

What does a ROADRUNNER 50 fail its MOT on most?

lighting and signalling — 33% of all defects recorded against failed ROADRUNNER 50 tests.

What is the best year of ROADRUNNER 50 to buy used?

By first-time pass rate, 2001-registered examples do best (77.0%) and 2002 worst (65.7%). Condition and history still trump the year.

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