BIKERELIABILITY Reg check
League table/ NORTON/DOMINATOR 88
Model report · 2005–2025

NORTON DOMINATOR 88

500cc Petrol Class 2
#344 of 5428 overall #12 of 34 NORTONs #213 of 2788 other bikes
92.7%
first-time pass rate
3.3%
failed outright
15,949
median miles at test
300
MOT tests, 2005–2025

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.

Pass rate over time

first-time pass rate by test year · 2006–2011

The DOMINATOR 88's first-time pass rate has fallen 2.2 points since 2006, 88.9% to 86.7%.

84%92%99%2006: 88.9% pass (36 tests)2007: 96.8% pass (31 tests)2008: 93.9% pass (33 tests)2009: 87.9% pass (33 tests)2010: 89.2% pass (37 tests)2011: 86.7% pass (30 tests)20062011

Pass rate by mileage

how the DOMINATOR 88's first-time pass rate falls with the odometer · class average 84.9%

A low-mileage DOMINATOR 88 passes first time 94.3% of the time; by 50k that's 87.5%.

86%91%96%0k: 94.3% pass (122 tests)10k: 90.9% pass (55 tests)50k: 87.5% pass (40 tests)0k10k50k

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 88

failure defects by component group · advisories excluded
Component group Share of defects Defects % of defects
brakes
5 29.4
tyres and wheels
4 23.5
lighting and signalling
3 17.6
fuel and exhaust
2 11.8
steering and suspension
2 11.8
driving controls
1 5.9

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 DOMINATOR 88 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 88.

Compare with any bike

rival not listed above? pick any model to see it head-to-head with the Dominator 88

More NORTON models

other NORTON bikes ranked by MOT pass rate
NORTON COMMANDO 90.8% pass · 12.3k tests
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

See all NORTON models →

Embed this bike

Free to embed on your site, blog or forum — a live Norton Dominator 88 reliability card that stays up to date and links back here. More on the free API page.