NORTON MERCURY

650cc Petrol Class 2

#1212 of 5426 overall #31 of 34 NORTONs #743 of 2787 other bikes

89.2%

first-time pass rate

3.4%

failed outright

11,345

median miles at test

204

MOT tests, 2005–2025

What fails on a MERCURY

failure defects by component group · advisories excluded

Component group	Defects	% of defects
tyres and wheels	4	50
lighting and signalling	2	25
steering and suspension	2	25

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 MERCURY 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 HONDA VFR800 FI 86.7% pass · 89.4k 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 MERCURY.

Pass rate by registration year

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

Best year to buy used: 1969 (93.8% pass). Weakest: 1970 (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.