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

NORTON DOMINATOR

600cc Petrol Class 2
#367 of 5428 overall #14 of 34 NORTONs #227 of 2788 other bikes
92.6%
first-time pass rate
1.9%
failed outright
9,254
median miles at test
3,807
MOT tests, 2005–2025
+3.2pp
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 DOMINATOR's first-time pass rate has fallen 12.6 points since 2005, 93.2% to 80.6%.

76%88%100%2005: 93.2% pass (88 tests)2006: 95.2% pass (396 tests)2007: 94.6% pass (349 tests)2008: 91.9% pass (358 tests)2009: 88.6% pass (351 tests)2010: 92.5% pass (335 tests)2011: 92.6% pass (366 tests)2012: 93.9% pass (326 tests)2013: 91.4% pass (197 tests)2014: 90.5% pass (199 tests)2015: 89.9% pass (179 tests)2016: 97.7% pass (173 tests)2017: 93.6% pass (156 tests)2018: 92.9% pass (56 tests)2019: 93.3% pass (45 tests)2020: 88.9% pass (36 tests)2021: 89.6% pass (48 tests)2022: 95.2% pass (42 tests)2023: 97.2% pass (36 tests)2024: 97.1% pass (35 tests)2025: 80.6% pass (36 tests)20052025

Pass rate by mileage

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

A low-mileage DOMINATOR passes first time 92.5% of the time; by 50k that's 94.2%.

91%94%97%0k: 92.5% pass (1,921 tests)10k: 93.3% pass (461 tests)20k: 91.4% pass (418 tests)30k: 95.8% pass (262 tests)40k: 92.2% pass (230 tests)50k: 94.2% pass (156 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 DOMINATOR

failure defects by component group · advisories excluded
Component group Share of defects Defects % of defects vs all bikes
lighting and signalling
46 30.9 0.2×
steering and suspension
26 17.4 0.2×
brakes
26 17.4 0.1×
tyres and wheels
22 14.8 0.2×
lamps and reflectors
9 6 0.1×
fuel and exhaust
7 4.7 0.2×
body and structure
5 3.4 0.3×
driving controls
3 2 0.3×
drive system
3 2 0.1×
tyres
2 1.3 0.1×

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 DOMINATOR 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 →
SUZUKI SV650S 80.6% pass · 84.6k 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 DOMINATOR.

Compare with any bike

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

More NORTON models

other NORTON bikes ranked by MOT pass rate
NORTON COMMANDO 90.8% pass · 12.3k 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: 1965 (96.9% pass). Weakest: 1966 (86.2%).

84%92%99%1954: 94.5% pass (164 tests)1955: 94.2% pass (120 tests)1956: 95.4% pass (174 tests)1957: 91.3% pass (310 tests)1958: 92.8% pass (263 tests)1959: 90.8% pass (315 tests)1960: 93.7% pass (630 tests)1961: 93.8% pass (389 tests)1962: 94.9% pass (429 tests)1963: 91.7% pass (181 tests)1964: 91.1% pass (123 tests)1965: 96.9% pass (65 tests)1966: 86.2% pass (94 tests)1967: 90.5% pass (74 tests)1968: 94.0% pass (50 tests)1971: 91.3% pass (80 tests)2015: 90.1% pass (81 tests)2016: 90.4% pass (73 tests)195419632016

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 DOMINATOR FAQ

answers computed from the data above · terms in the glossary

Is the NORTON DOMINATOR reliable?

The NORTON DOMINATOR is more reliable than average for its class: 92.6% of its 3,807 MOT tests (2005–2025) passed first time, against a class average of 84.9%. That ranks it #367 of 5428 models.

What does a DOMINATOR fail its MOT on most?

lighting and signalling — 31% of all defects recorded against failed DOMINATOR tests.

What is the best year of DOMINATOR to buy used?

By first-time pass rate, 1965-registered examples do best (96.9%) and 1966 worst (86.2%). Condition and history still trump the year.

How many miles will a DOMINATOR last?

The median DOMINATOR shows 9,254 miles at test, and examples around 50k miles still pass 94.2% of the time — mileage alone rarely kills one.

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