BIKERELIABILITY Reg check
League table/ NORTON/ES2
Model report · 2005–2025

NORTON ES2

500cc Petrol Class 2
#619 of 5428 overall #24 of 34 NORTONs #377 of 2788 other bikes
91.3%
first-time pass rate
2.8%
failed outright
12,022
median miles at test
2,223
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 · 2005–2017

The ES2's first-time pass rate has risen 7.9 points since 2005, 86.5% to 94.4%.

84%90%97%2005: 86.5% pass (52 tests)2006: 93.3% pass (285 tests)2007: 94.3% pass (262 tests)2008: 91.5% pass (248 tests)2009: 91.7% pass (264 tests)2010: 92.4% pass (249 tests)2011: 87.8% pass (245 tests)2012: 88.9% pass (225 tests)2013: 85.7% pass (84 tests)2014: 93.0% pass (71 tests)2015: 86.6% pass (67 tests)2016: 93.4% pass (61 tests)2017: 94.4% pass (54 tests)20052017

Pass rate by mileage

how the ES2's first-time pass rate falls with the odometer · class average 84.9%

A low-mileage ES2 passes first time 91.4% of the time; by 50k that's 92.3%.

89%92%94%0k: 91.4% pass (1,000 tests)10k: 89.9% pass (348 tests)20k: 92.7% pass (191 tests)30k: 93.2% pass (222 tests)40k: 91.6% pass (179 tests)50k: 92.3% pass (104 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 ES2

failure defects by component group · advisories excluded
Component group Share of defects Defects % of defects vs all bikes
lighting and signalling
56 40 0.4×
tyres and wheels
22 15.7 0.4×
steering and suspension
22 15.7 0.2×
brakes
19 13.6 0.2×
body and structure
7 5 0.5×
fuel and exhaust
5 3.6 0.3×
sidecar
4 2.9 22.5×
Items Not Tested
3 2.1 1.5×
drive system
2 1.4 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 ES2 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 ES2.

Compare with any bike

rival not listed above? pick any model to see it head-to-head with the ES2

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 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: 1955 (96.6% pass). Weakest: 1956 (81.0%).

78%89%100%1948: 92.7% pass (124 tests)1949: 89.0% pass (118 tests)1950: 92.1% pass (101 tests)1951: 93.2% pass (146 tests)1952: 89.8% pass (108 tests)1953: 91.4% pass (139 tests)1954: 88.5% pass (96 tests)1955: 96.6% pass (87 tests)1956: 81.0% pass (84 tests)1957: 89.8% pass (98 tests)1958: 92.9% pass (84 tests)1959: 87.6% pass (137 tests)1960: 94.3% pass (211 tests)1961: 91.0% pass (200 tests)1962: 93.8% pass (112 tests)1971: 90.6% pass (64 tests)194819561971

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 ES2 FAQ

answers computed from the data above · terms in the glossary

Is the NORTON ES2 reliable?

The NORTON ES2 is more reliable than average for its class: 91.3% of its 2,223 MOT tests (2005–2025) passed first time, against a class average of 84.9%. That ranks it #619 of 5428 models.

What does a ES2 fail its MOT on most?

lighting and signalling — 40% of all defects recorded against failed ES2 tests.

What is the best year of ES2 to buy used?

By first-time pass rate, 1955-registered examples do best (96.6%) and 1956 worst (81.0%). Condition and history still trump the year.

How many miles will a ES2 last?

The median ES2 shows 12,022 miles at test, and examples around 50k miles still pass 92.3% of the time — mileage alone rarely kills one.

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