NORTON COMMANDO 961 CAFE RACER

961cc Petrol Class 2

#1111 of 5426 overall #30 of 34 NORTONs #678 of 2787 other bikes

89.5%

first-time pass rate

6.2%

failed outright

2,122

median miles at test

210

MOT tests, 2005–2025

What fails on a COMMANDO 961 CAFE RACER

failure defects by component group · advisories excluded

Component group	Defects	% of defects
brakes	13	56.5
lamps and reflectors	5	21.7
Identification of the vehicle	3	13
structure and attachments	2	8.7

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 COMMANDO 961 CAFE RACER beats 3 of its 4 closest rivals (BMW R1200, BMW R1150, TRIUMPH SPRINT).

BMW R1200 92.9% pass · 299k tests BMW R1150 88.5% pass · 171k tests TRIUMPH SPRINT 85.6% pass · 133k tests SUZUKI GSF1200 82.4% pass · 97.6k 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 COMMANDO 961 CAFE RACER.

Pass rate by registration year

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

Best year to buy used: 2018 (87.5% pass). Weakest: 2018 (87.5%).

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.