BIKERELIABILITY Reg check
League table/ SYM/DD50
Model report · 2005–2025

SYM DD50

49cc Petrol Class 1
#4471 of 5428 overall #49 of 78 SYMs #172 of 456 moped bikes
73.3%
first-time pass rate
18.8%
failed outright
9,008
median miles at test
5,940
MOT tests, 2005–2025
+1.1pp
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 · 2005–2023

The DD50's first-time pass rate has fallen 3.5 points since 2005, 81.3% to 77.8%.

67%76%85%2005: 81.3% pass (64 tests)2006: 77.6% pass (340 tests)2007: 73.8% pass (557 tests)2008: 72.5% pass (662 tests)2009: 72.4% pass (616 tests)2010: 74.1% pass (568 tests)2011: 74.6% pass (551 tests)2012: 71.3% pass (498 tests)2013: 71.1% pass (439 tests)2014: 69.9% pass (366 tests)2015: 72.7% pass (304 tests)2016: 70.6% pass (235 tests)2017: 71.9% pass (178 tests)2018: 78.2% pass (110 tests)2019: 82.1% pass (95 tests)2020: 70.8% pass (89 tests)2021: 76.1% pass (88 tests)2022: 72.5% pass (69 tests)2023: 77.8% pass (54 tests)20052023

Pass rate by mileage

how the DD50's first-time pass rate falls with the odometer · class average 73.4%

A low-mileage DD50 passes first time 77.7% of the time; by 30k that's 62.0%.

59%70%81%0k: 77.7% pass (3,319 tests)10k: 68.3% pass (2,095 tests)20k: 66.4% pass (428 tests)30k: 62.0% pass (50 tests)0k20k30k

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 DD50

failure defects by component group · advisories excluded
Component group Share of defects Defects % of defects vs all bikes
brakes
950 35.6 2.5×
lighting and signalling
751 28.2 1.9×
steering and suspension
340 12.7 1.5×
tyres and wheels
250 9.4 1.9×
fuel and exhaust
183 6.9 3.4×
lamps and reflectors
67 2.5 0.4×
reg plates and vin
58 2.2 1.6×
body and structure
35 1.3 1.1×
suspension
17 0.6 0.3×
tyres
16 0.6 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 DD50 beats 4 of its 4 closest rivals (PEUGEOT SPEEDFIGHT, PIAGGIO ZIP, PIAGGIO NRG).

PEUGEOT SPEEDFIGHT 65.2% pass · 83.7k tests Compare head-to-head →
PIAGGIO ZIP 71.3% pass · 79.0k tests Compare head-to-head →
PIAGGIO NRG 65.5% pass · 40.5k tests Compare head-to-head →
PEUGEOT VIVACITY 70.4% pass · 29.7k 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 DD50.

Compare with any bike

rival not listed above? pick any model to see it head-to-head with the DD50

More SYM models

other SYM bikes ranked by MOT pass rate
SYM JET 73.4% pass · 23.2k tests
SYM CITY HOPPER 71.4% pass · 4,446 tests
SYM JET 50 - EURO X 72.3% pass · 4,412 tests
SYM FIDDLE 76.6% pass · 3,826 tests
SYM SHARK 77.1% pass · 3,624 tests
SYM JOYRIDE 80.8% pass · 3,295 tests

See all SYM models →

Pass rate by registration year

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

Best year to buy used: 2010 (78.3% pass). Weakest: 2011 (68.6%).

67%73%80%2002: 72.6% pass (877 tests)2003: 72.4% pass (1,066 tests)2004: 71.3% pass (1,614 tests)2005: 75.1% pass (1,113 tests)2006: 72.8% pass (279 tests)2007: 77.5% pass (267 tests)2008: 76.6% pass (231 tests)2009: 75.8% pass (182 tests)2010: 78.3% pass (166 tests)2011: 68.6% pass (70 tests)200220072011

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.

SYM DD50 FAQ

answers computed from the data above · terms in the glossary

Is the SYM DD50 reliable?

The SYM DD50 is about average for its class: 73.3% of its 5,940 MOT tests (2005–2025) passed first time, against a class average of 73.4%. That ranks it #4471 of 5428 models.

What does a DD50 fail its MOT on most?

brakes — 36% of all defects recorded against failed DD50 tests.

What is the best year of DD50 to buy used?

By first-time pass rate, 2010-registered examples do best (78.3%) and 2011 worst (68.6%). Condition and history still trump the year.

How many miles will a DD50 last?

The median DD50 shows 9,008 miles at test, and examples around 30k miles still pass 62.0% of the time — mileage alone rarely kills one.

Embed this bike

Free to embed on your site, blog or forum — a live SYM DD50 reliability card that stays up to date and links back here. More on the free API page.