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

ROYAL ENFIELD CRUSADER

250cc Petrol Class 2
#567 of 5428 overall #10 of 37 ROYAL ENFIELDs #344 of 2788 other bikes
91.5%
first-time pass rate
4.4%
failed outright
10,541
median miles at test
661
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 · 2006–2017

The CRUSADER's first-time pass rate has risen 5.5 points since 2006, 94.5% to 100.0%.

72%86%100%2006: 94.5% pass (73 tests)2007: 87.9% pass (58 tests)2008: 93.0% pass (57 tests)2009: 96.2% pass (52 tests)2010: 88.1% pass (59 tests)2011: 95.2% pass (62 tests)2012: 96.5% pass (57 tests)2013: 81.3% pass (48 tests)2014: 91.3% pass (46 tests)2015: 77.5% pass (40 tests)2016: 91.9% pass (37 tests)2017: 100.0% pass (39 tests)20062017

Pass rate by mileage

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

A low-mileage CRUSADER passes first time 93.3% of the time; by 40k that's 95.1%.

78%88%98%0k: 93.3% pass (314 tests)10k: 91.4% pass (116 tests)20k: 91.2% pass (57 tests)30k: 81.0% pass (63 tests)40k: 95.1% pass (41 tests)0k20k40k

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 CRUSADER

failure defects by component group · advisories excluded
Component group Share of defects Defects % of defects vs all bikes
lighting and signalling
26 35.6 0.5×
brakes
14 19.2 0.3×
steering and suspension
14 19.2 0.6×
tyres and wheels
8 11 0.5×
structure and attachments
3 4.1 0.2×
body and structure
3 4.1 0.6×
drive system
2 2.7 0.4×
lamps and reflectors
1 1.4 0.1×
driving controls
1 1.4 0.6×
fuel and exhaust
1 1.4 0.2×

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 CRUSADER beats 4 of its 4 closest rivals (YAMAHA YP250, YAMAHA WR250F, HONDA XR250).

YAMAHA YP250 82.5% pass · 12.4k tests Compare head-to-head →
YAMAHA WR250F 78.0% pass · 10.5k tests Compare head-to-head →
HONDA XR250 78.8% pass · 9,277 tests Compare head-to-head →
HONDA CBF250 84.9% pass · 7,536 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 CRUSADER.

Compare with any bike

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

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: 1963 (94.1% pass). Weakest: 1959 (87.7%).

86%91%95%1959: 87.7% pass (65 tests)1960: 88.3% pass (77 tests)1961: 93.5% pass (185 tests)1962: 90.9% pass (77 tests)1963: 94.1% pass (51 tests)1964: 94.0% pass (67 tests)195919621964

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 CRUSADER FAQ

answers computed from the data above · terms in the glossary

Is the ROYAL ENFIELD CRUSADER reliable?

The ROYAL ENFIELD CRUSADER is more reliable than average for its class: 91.5% of its 661 MOT tests (2005–2025) passed first time, against a class average of 84.9%. That ranks it #567 of 5428 models.

What does a CRUSADER fail its MOT on most?

lighting and signalling — 36% of all defects recorded against failed CRUSADER tests.

What is the best year of CRUSADER to buy used?

By first-time pass rate, 1963-registered examples do best (94.1%) and 1959 worst (87.7%). Condition and history still trump the year.

How many miles will a CRUSADER last?

The median CRUSADER shows 10,541 miles at test, and examples around 40k miles still pass 95.1% of the time — mileage alone rarely kills one.

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