BIKERELIABILITY Reg check
League table/ ROYAL ENFIELD/CLASSIC 350 E5
Model report · 2005–2025

ROYAL ENFIELD CLASSIC 350 E5

349cc Petrol Class 2
#111 of 5428 overall #2 of 37 ROYAL ENFIELDs #71 of 2788 other bikes
94.6%
first-time pass rate
2.0%
failed outright
2,539
median miles at test
811
MOT tests, 2005–2025
+4.5pp
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.

What fails on a CLASSIC 350 E5

failure defects by component group · advisories excluded
Component group Share of defects Defects % of defects vs all bikes
brakes
7 25.9 0.1×
lamps and reflectors
7 25.9 0.3×
Identification of the vehicle
5 18.5 2.7×
steering
4 14.8 0.9×
structure and attachments
2 7.4 0.2×
tyres
2 7.4 0.4×

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 CLASSIC 350 E5 beats 4 of its 4 closest rivals (SUZUKI AN400, SUZUKI DR-Z400S, YAMAHA RD350).

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 →
YAMAHA RD350 86.3% pass · 19.6k tests Compare head-to-head →
KAWASAKI ZXR400 73.1% pass · 14.2k 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 CLASSIC 350 E5.

Compare with any bike

rival not listed above? pick any model to see it head-to-head with the Classic 350 E5

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 87.9% pass · 5,229 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: 2022 (94.5% pass). Weakest: 2022 (94.5%).

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.

ROYAL ENFIELD CLASSIC 350 E5 FAQ

answers computed from the data above · terms in the glossary

Is the ROYAL ENFIELD CLASSIC 350 E5 reliable?

The ROYAL ENFIELD CLASSIC 350 E5 is more reliable than average for its class: 94.6% of its 811 MOT tests (2005–2025) passed first time, against a class average of 84.9%. That ranks it #111 of 5428 models.

What does a CLASSIC 350 E5 fail its MOT on most?

brakes — 26% of all defects recorded against failed CLASSIC 350 E5 tests.

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