NORTON 50

350cc Petrol Class 2

#545 of 5426 overall #21 of 34 NORTONs #330 of 2787 other bikes

91.6%

first-time pass rate

0.8%

failed outright

19,685

median miles at test

357

MOT tests, 2005–2025

Pass rate over time

first-time pass rate by test year · 2006–2011

The 50's first-time pass rate has fallen 8.9 points since 2006, 95.0% to 86.1%.

Pass rate by mileage

how the 50's first-time pass rate falls with the odometer · class average 84.9%

A low-mileage 50 passes first time 86.4% of the time; by 30k that's 97.7%.

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 50

failure defects by component group · advisories excluded

Component group	Defects	% of defects
lighting and signalling	6	46.2
steering and suspension	3	23.1
Items Not Tested	2	15.4
brakes	1	7.7
tyres and wheels	1	7.7

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 50 beats 4 of its 4 closest rivals (SUZUKI AN400, SUZUKI DR-Z400S, YAMAHA RD350).

SUZUKI AN400 86.2% pass · 27.1k tests SUZUKI DR-Z400S 80.4% pass · 26.8k tests YAMAHA RD350 86.3% pass · 19.6k tests KAWASAKI ZXR400 73.1% pass · 14.2k 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 50.

Pass rate by registration year

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

Best year to buy used: 1960 (89.0% pass). Weakest: 1959 (88.9%).

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.