NORTON 16H

498cc Petrol Class 2

#250 of 5426 overall #10 of 34 NORTONs #155 of 2787 other bikes

93.3%

first-time pass rate

2.0%

failed outright

7,073

median miles at test

688

MOT tests, 2005–2025

Pass rate over time

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

The 16H's first-time pass rate has fallen 1.7 points since 2006, 93.2% to 91.5%.

Pass rate by mileage

how the 16H's first-time pass rate falls with the odometer · class average 84.9%

A low-mileage 16H passes first time 90.7% of the time; by 30k that's 97.1%.

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 16H

failure defects by component group · advisories excluded

Component group	Defects	% of defects	vs all bikes
steering and suspension	12	37.5	0.3×
brakes	9	28.1	0.2×
lighting and signalling	4	12.5	—
body and structure	3	9.4	0.9×
driving controls	2	6.2	1.2×
tyres and wheels	2	6.2	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 16H beats 4 of its 4 closest rivals (KAWASAKI ZX-6R, SUZUKI GSF600, YAMAHA FZS600).

KAWASAKI ZX-6R 78.1% pass · 174k tests SUZUKI GSF600 77.3% pass · 143k tests YAMAHA FZS600 82.6% pass · 137k tests SUZUKI SV650S 80.6% pass · 84.6k 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 16H.

Pass rate by registration year

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

Best year to buy used: 1946 (94.3% pass). Weakest: 1940 (89.4%).

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.

NORTON 16H FAQ

answers computed from the data above · terms in the glossary

Is the NORTON 16H reliable?

The NORTON 16H is more reliable than average for its class: 93.3% of its 688 MOT tests (2005–2025) passed first time, against a class average of 84.9%. That ranks it #250 of 5426 models.

What does a 16H fail its MOT on most?

steering and suspension — 38% of all defects recorded against failed 16H tests.

How many miles will a 16H last?

The median 16H shows 7,073 miles at test, and examples around 30k miles still pass 97.1% of the time — mileage alone rarely kills one.