NORTON COMMANDER

588cc Petrol Class 2

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

91.6%

first-time pass rate

3.9%

failed outright

26,431

median miles at test

2,091

MOT tests, 2005–2025

Pass rate over time

first-time pass rate by test year · 2005–2023

The COMMANDER's first-time pass rate has fallen 4.1 points since 2005, 97.4% to 93.3%.

Pass rate by mileage

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

A low-mileage COMMANDER passes first time 91.3% of the time; by 50k that's 91.1%.

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 COMMANDER

failure defects by component group · advisories excluded

Component group	Defects	% of defects	vs all bikes
lighting and signalling	52	35.1	0.4×
steering and suspension	31	20.9	0.4×
brakes	26	17.6	0.2×
lamps and reflectors	11	7.4	0.2×
tyres and wheels	8	5.4	0.2×
fuel and exhaust	5	3.4	0.3×
suspension	4	2.7	0.2×
body and structure	4	2.7	0.3×
steering	4	2.7	0.1×
driving controls	3	2	0.6×

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 COMMANDER 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 COMMANDER.

Pass rate by registration year

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

Best year to buy used: 1976 (95.3% pass). Weakest: 1977 (88.7%).

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.

NORTON COMMANDER FAQ

answers computed from the data above · terms in the glossary

Is the NORTON COMMANDER reliable?

The NORTON COMMANDER is more reliable than average for its class: 91.6% of its 2,091 MOT tests (2005–2025) passed first time, against a class average of 84.9%. That ranks it #545 of 5426 models.

What does a COMMANDER fail its MOT on most?

lighting and signalling — 35% of all defects recorded against failed COMMANDER tests.

What is the best year of COMMANDER to buy used?

By first-time pass rate, 1976-registered examples do best (95.3%) and 1977 worst (88.7%). Condition and history still trump the year.

How many miles will a COMMANDER last?

The median COMMANDER shows 26,431 miles at test, and examples around 50k miles still pass 91.1% of the time — mileage alone rarely kills one.