NORTON COMMANDO 850

828cc Petrol Class 2

#565 of 5426 overall #23 of 34 NORTONs #343 of 2787 other bikes

91.5%

first-time pass rate

3.4%

failed outright

18,312

median miles at test

816

MOT tests, 2005–2025

Pass rate over time

first-time pass rate by test year · 2006–2018

The COMMANDO 850's first-time pass rate has risen 3.2 points since 2006, 87.7% to 90.9%.

Pass rate by mileage

how the COMMANDO 850's first-time pass rate falls with the odometer · class average 84.9%

A low-mileage COMMANDO 850 passes first time 90.7% of the time; by 30k that's 95.2%.

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 850

failure defects by component group · advisories excluded

Component group	Defects	% of defects	vs all bikes
lighting and signalling	17	27.4	0.4×
brakes	17	27.4	0.4×
tyres and wheels	12	19.4	0.6×
steering and suspension	6	9.7	0.2×
fuel and exhaust	5	8.1	0.6×
drive system	3	4.8	0.5×
reg plates and vin	1	1.6	0.2×
body and structure	1	1.6	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 COMMANDO 850 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 TRIUMPH SPRINT 85.6% pass · 133k 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 COMMANDO 850.

Pass rate by registration year

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

Best year to buy used: 1977 (97.1% pass). Weakest: 1974 (88.6%).

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 850 FAQ

answers computed from the data above · terms in the glossary

Is the NORTON COMMANDO 850 reliable?

The NORTON COMMANDO 850 is more reliable than average for its class: 91.5% of its 816 MOT tests (2005–2025) passed first time, against a class average of 84.9%. That ranks it #565 of 5426 models.

What does a COMMANDO 850 fail its MOT on most?

lighting and signalling — 27% of all defects recorded against failed COMMANDO 850 tests.

What is the best year of COMMANDO 850 to buy used?

By first-time pass rate, 1977-registered examples do best (97.1%) and 1974 worst (88.6%). Condition and history still trump the year.

How many miles will a COMMANDO 850 last?

The median COMMANDO 850 shows 18,312 miles at test, and examples around 30k miles still pass 95.2% of the time — mileage alone rarely kills one.