BIKERELIABILITY
MOT DATA · GREAT BRITAIN · 2005–2025
League table/ ROYAL ENFIELD/BULLET TRIALS 500
Model report · 2005–2025

ROYAL ENFIELD BULLET TRIALS 500

500cc Petrol Class 2
91.4%
first-time pass rate
2.9%
failed outright
3,100
median miles at test
524
MOT tests, 2005–2025

Pass rate over time

first-time pass rate by test year · 2022–2025

The BULLET TRIALS 500's first-time pass rate has risen 2.5 points since 2022, 89.5% to 92.0%.

88%91%94%2022: 89.5% pass (57 tests)2023: 93.4% pass (166 tests)2024: 89.2% pass (139 tests)2025: 92.0% pass (162 tests)20222025

What fails on a BULLET TRIALS 500

failure defects by component group · advisories excluded
Component group Share of defects Defects % of defects vs all bikes
lamps and reflectors
14 50 1.3×
wheels
4 14.3 9.5×
brakes
3 10.7 0.1×
tyres
3 10.7 0.8×
Identification of the vehicle
2 7.1 1.7×
structure and attachments
2 7.1 0.6×

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 TRIALS 500 beats 1 of its 1 closest rivals (HONDA CRF450).

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 TRIALS 500.

Pass rate by registration year

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

Best year to buy used: 2019 (91.9% pass). Weakest: 2020 (91.4%).

91%92%93%2019: 91.9% pass (222 tests)2020: 91.4% pass (279 tests)20192020

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 TRIALS 500 FAQ

answers computed from the data above · terms in the glossary

Is the ROYAL ENFIELD BULLET TRIALS 500 reliable?

The ROYAL ENFIELD BULLET TRIALS 500 is more reliable than average for its class: 91.4% of its 524 MOT tests (2005–2025) passed first time, against a class average of 84.9%. That ranks it #587 of 5426 models.

What does a BULLET TRIALS 500 fail its MOT on most?

lamps and reflectors — 50% of all defects recorded against failed BULLET TRIALS 500 tests.