BIKERELIABILITY Reg check
League table/ ROYAL ENFIELD/BULLET
Model report · 2005–2025

ROYAL ENFIELD BULLET

406cc Petrol Class 2
#1639 of 5428 overall #31 of 37 ROYAL ENFIELDs #998 of 2788 other bikes
87.9%
first-time pass rate
5.2%
failed outright
7,247
median miles at test
5,229
MOT tests, 2005–2025
+0.7pp
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 BULLET's first-time pass rate has fallen 3.9 points since 2005, 90.7% to 86.8%.

80%88%97%2005: 90.7% pass (54 tests)2006: 89.5% pass (304 tests)2007: 88.0% pass (292 tests)2008: 90.2% pass (305 tests)2009: 88.9% pass (324 tests)2010: 87.2% pass (321 tests)2011: 89.2% pass (323 tests)2012: 89.6% pass (318 tests)2013: 86.3% pass (300 tests)2014: 84.1% pass (314 tests)2015: 87.5% pass (287 tests)2016: 82.4% pass (273 tests)2017: 86.6% pass (254 tests)2018: 87.5% pass (184 tests)2019: 83.0% pass (176 tests)2020: 92.1% pass (165 tests)2021: 93.9% pass (231 tests)2022: 90.6% pass (234 tests)2023: 84.4% pass (212 tests)2024: 89.3% pass (169 tests)2025: 86.8% pass (189 tests)20052025

Pass rate by mileage

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

A low-mileage BULLET passes first time 87.8% of the time; by 50k that's 89.2%.

84%88%91%0k: 87.8% pass (3,012 tests)10k: 87.8% pass (1,042 tests)20k: 88.1% pass (506 tests)30k: 85.3% pass (259 tests)40k: 90.1% pass (162 tests)50k: 89.2% pass (65 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 BULLET

failure defects by component group · advisories excluded
Component group Share of defects Defects % of defects vs all bikes
lighting and signalling
198 33.8 0.6×
brakes
113 19.3 0.4×
lamps and reflectors
74 12.6 0.6×
steering and suspension
60 10.3 0.3×
tyres and wheels
31 5.3 0.2×
fuel and exhaust
26 4.4 0.6×
structure and attachments
23 3.9 0.4×
body and structure
22 3.8 0.5×
reg plates and vin
19 3.2 0.6×
steering
19 3.2 0.7×

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 BULLET beats 4 of its 4 closest rivals (KAWASAKI ER5, SUZUKI GS500, SUZUKI AN400).

KAWASAKI ER5 77.4% pass · 53.1k tests Compare head-to-head →
SUZUKI GS500 76.4% pass · 44.9k tests Compare head-to-head →
SUZUKI AN400 86.2% pass · 27.1k tests Compare head-to-head →
SUZUKI DR-Z400S 80.4% pass · 26.8k 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 BULLET.

Compare with any bike

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

More ROYAL ENFIELD models

other ROYAL ENFIELD bikes ranked by MOT pass rate
ROYAL ENFIELD BULLET 500 88.2% pass · 25.7k tests
ROYAL ENFIELD INTERCEPTOR INT 650 91.0% pass · 7,364 tests
ROYAL ENFIELD BULLET 350 89.6% pass · 7,044 tests
ROYAL ENFIELD HIMALAYAN 90.0% pass · 5,785 tests
ROYAL ENFIELD BULLT 89.8% pass · 5,661 tests
ROYAL ENFIELD BULLET CLASSIC EFI E4 89.9% pass · 3,550 tests

See all ROYAL ENFIELD models →

Pass rate by registration year

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

Best year to buy used: 1954 (97.4% pass). Weakest: 1987 (75.9%).

72%86%100%1954: 97.4% pass (78 tests)1955: 94.4% pass (90 tests)1957: 90.3% pass (62 tests)1959: 91.7% pass (109 tests)1960: 93.4% pass (166 tests)1961: 96.3% pass (136 tests)1962: 91.1% pass (79 tests)1965: 88.7% pass (53 tests)1971: 88.3% pass (94 tests)1987: 75.9% pass (58 tests)1988: 78.6% pass (70 tests)1989: 88.4% pass (86 tests)1990: 87.0% pass (146 tests)1991: 88.1% pass (295 tests)1992: 88.1% pass (471 tests)1993: 86.0% pass (415 tests)1996: 87.7% pass (57 tests)1997: 88.7% pass (71 tests)1998: 83.0% pass (53 tests)1999: 81.9% pass (182 tests)2000: 84.5% pass (97 tests)2002: 84.5% pass (84 tests)2003: 88.7% pass (362 tests)2004: 90.0% pass (90 tests)2005: 89.5% pass (275 tests)2006: 85.6% pass (104 tests)2007: 86.5% pass (52 tests)2010: 83.8% pass (136 tests)2014: 94.8% pass (77 tests)2015: 88.9% pass (144 tests)2016: 93.3% pass (105 tests)195419932016

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.

ROYAL ENFIELD BULLET FAQ

answers computed from the data above · terms in the glossary

Is the ROYAL ENFIELD BULLET reliable?

The ROYAL ENFIELD BULLET is more reliable than average for its class: 87.9% of its 5,229 MOT tests (2005–2025) passed first time, against a class average of 84.9%. That ranks it #1639 of 5428 models.

What does a BULLET fail its MOT on most?

lighting and signalling — 34% of all defects recorded against failed BULLET tests.

What is the best year of BULLET to buy used?

By first-time pass rate, 1954-registered examples do best (97.4%) and 1987 worst (75.9%). Condition and history still trump the year.

How many miles will a BULLET last?

The median BULLET shows 7,247 miles at test, and examples around 50k miles still pass 89.2% of the time — mileage alone rarely kills one.

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