BIKERELIABILITY Reg check
League table/ NORTON/COMMANDO
Model report · 2005–2025

NORTON COMMANDO

828cc Petrol Class 2
#727 of 5428 overall #27 of 34 NORTONs #445 of 2788 other bikes
90.8%
first-time pass rate
4.2%
failed outright
18,683
median miles at test
12.3k
MOT tests, 2005–2025
+6.0pp
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 · 2005–2025

The COMMANDO's first-time pass rate has risen 6.0 points since 2005, 89.9% to 95.9%.

86%92%98%2005: 89.9% pass (179 tests)2006: 91.8% pass (942 tests)2007: 91.3% pass (847 tests)2008: 89.9% pass (867 tests)2009: 91.2% pass (887 tests)2010: 88.3% pass (861 tests)2011: 88.4% pass (863 tests)2012: 91.2% pass (852 tests)2013: 91.4% pass (916 tests)2014: 91.1% pass (955 tests)2015: 90.3% pass (936 tests)2016: 90.4% pass (917 tests)2017: 92.8% pass (948 tests)2018: 91.6% pass (347 tests)2019: 89.7% pass (174 tests)2020: 89.1% pass (138 tests)2021: 90.4% pass (167 tests)2022: 92.7% pass (164 tests)2023: 89.3% pass (131 tests)2024: 94.2% pass (103 tests)2025: 95.9% pass (122 tests)20052025

Pass rate by mileage

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

A low-mileage COMMANDO passes first time 90.2% of the time; by 50k that's 90.0%.

89%91%92%0k: 90.2% pass (3,939 tests)10k: 91.3% pass (2,520 tests)20k: 90.8% pass (2,055 tests)30k: 91.1% pass (1,659 tests)40k: 90.4% pass (900 tests)50k: 90.0% pass (439 tests)0k30k50k

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 COMMANDO

failure defects by component group · advisories excluded
Component group Share of defects Defects % of defects vs all bikes
lighting and signalling
311 34.1 0.4×
steering and suspension
166 18.2 0.4×
brakes
166 18.2 0.2×
tyres and wheels
103 11.3 0.4×
fuel and exhaust
38 4.2 0.3×
drive system
34 3.7 0.3×
reg plates and vin
33 3.6 0.4×
lamps and reflectors
31 3.4 0.1×
driving controls
15 1.6 0.5×
body and structure
15 1.6 0.2×

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 COMMANDO beats 4 of its 4 closest rivals (KAWASAKI ZX-6R, SUZUKI GSF600, YAMAHA FZS600).

KAWASAKI ZX-6R 78.1% pass · 174k tests Compare head-to-head →
SUZUKI GSF600 77.3% pass · 143k tests Compare head-to-head →
YAMAHA FZS600 82.6% pass · 137k tests Compare head-to-head →
TRIUMPH SPRINT 85.6% pass · 133k 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 COMMANDO.

Compare with any bike

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

More NORTON models

other NORTON bikes ranked by MOT pass rate
NORTON DOMINATOR 92.6% pass · 3,807 tests
NORTON ES2 91.3% pass · 2,223 tests
NORTON COMMANDER 91.6% pass · 2,094 tests
NORTON TRITON 92.1% pass · 1,496 tests
NORTON ATLAS 92.5% pass · 1,153 tests
NORTON 650SS 93.8% pass · 1,084 tests

See all NORTON models →

Pass rate by registration year

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

Best year to buy used: 2011 (98.2% pass). Weakest: 1969 (87.6%).

85%93%100%1968: 90.6% pass (149 tests)1969: 87.6% pass (354 tests)1970: 89.7% pass (358 tests)1971: 90.4% pass (3,727 tests)1972: 89.8% pass (888 tests)1973: 91.3% pass (1,035 tests)1974: 92.1% pass (1,141 tests)1975: 91.0% pass (1,299 tests)1976: 90.6% pass (1,171 tests)1977: 90.4% pass (783 tests)1978: 91.8% pass (281 tests)2010: 92.2% pass (90 tests)2011: 98.2% pass (56 tests)2013: 87.7% pass (57 tests)2014: 89.4% pass (199 tests)2015: 91.3% pass (160 tests)2016: 89.9% pass (138 tests)2017: 97.3% pass (73 tests)196819772017

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 COMMANDO FAQ

answers computed from the data above · terms in the glossary

Is the NORTON COMMANDO reliable?

The NORTON COMMANDO is more reliable than average for its class: 90.8% of its 12,316 MOT tests (2005–2025) passed first time, against a class average of 84.9%. That ranks it #727 of 5428 models.

What does a COMMANDO fail its MOT on most?

lighting and signalling — 34% of all defects recorded against failed COMMANDO tests.

What is the best year of COMMANDO to buy used?

By first-time pass rate, 2011-registered examples do best (98.2%) and 1969 worst (87.6%). Condition and history still trump the year.

How many miles will a COMMANDO last?

The median COMMANDO shows 18,683 miles at test, and examples around 50k miles still pass 90.0% of the time — mileage alone rarely kills one.

Embed this bike

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