BIKERELIABILITY Reg check
League table/ TRIUMPH/TIGER
Model report · 2005–2025

TRIUMPH TIGER

955cc Petrol Class 2
#1077 of 5428 overall #82 of 175 TRIUMPHs #64 of 99 adventure bikes
Triumph Tiger
Photo: H005 · CC0
89.6%
first-time pass rate
6.1%
failed outright
16,462
median miles at test
161k
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.

Pass rate over time

first-time pass rate by test year · 2005–2025

The TIGER's first-time pass rate has risen 6.6 points since 2005, 84.8% to 91.4%.

82%88%93%2005: 84.8% pass (428 tests)2006: 86.9% pass (2,410 tests)2007: 86.8% pass (2,634 tests)2008: 85.3% pass (3,014 tests)2009: 84.4% pass (3,226 tests)2010: 84.1% pass (3,726 tests)2011: 85.0% pass (4,028 tests)2012: 84.6% pass (4,095 tests)2013: 84.4% pass (4,108 tests)2014: 85.8% pass (4,583 tests)2015: 87.6% pass (5,212 tests)2016: 88.4% pass (7,523 tests)2017: 89.5% pass (9,596 tests)2018: 90.3% pass (8,834 tests)2019: 90.2% pass (10,288 tests)2020: 91.5% pass (11,365 tests)2021: 91.3% pass (15,521 tests)2022: 91.6% pass (16,720 tests)2023: 90.9% pass (16,996 tests)2024: 91.1% pass (13,084 tests)2025: 91.4% pass (13,972 tests)20052025

Pass rate by mileage

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

A low-mileage TIGER passes first time 93.4% of the time; by 50k that's 81.1%.

79%87%96%0k: 93.4% pass (42,291 tests)10k: 90.9% pass (54,687 tests)20k: 87.8% pass (32,117 tests)30k: 85.1% pass (16,862 tests)40k: 82.1% pass (8,046 tests)50k: 81.1% pass (3,422 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 TIGER

failure defects by component group · advisories excluded
Component group Share of defects Defects % of defects vs all bikes
brakes
6,568 40.1 0.7×
lighting and signalling
2,077 12.7 0.2×
lamps and reflectors
1,626 9.9 0.5×
suspension
1,181 7.2 0.9×
steering and suspension
1,175 7.2 0.2×
tyres
1,129 6.9 0.9×
tyres and wheels
866 5.3 0.2×
structure and attachments
767 4.7 0.6×
drive system
498 3 0.4×
steering
493 3 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 TIGER beats 1 of its 4 closest rivals (DUCATI MULTISTRADA, HONDA CRF1000L Africa Twin, TRIUMPH TIGER 1050).

DUCATI MULTISTRADA 89.9% pass · 24.8k tests Compare head-to-head →
HONDA CRF1000L Africa Twin 95.3% pass · 21.7k tests Compare head-to-head →
TRIUMPH TIGER 1050 87.3% pass · 14.0k tests Compare head-to-head →
TRIUMPH TIGER 800 91.6% pass · 6,797 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 TIGER.

Compare with any bike

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

More TRIUMPH models

other TRIUMPH bikes ranked by MOT pass rate
TRIUMPH BONNEVILLE 89.0% pass · 195k tests
TRIUMPH SPRINT 85.6% pass · 133k tests
TRIUMPH DAYTONA 83.6% pass · 113k tests
TRIUMPH SPEED TRIPLE 85.6% pass · 74.6k tests
TRIUMPH THUNDERBIRD 87.8% pass · 56.3k tests
TRIUMPH TROPHY 84.0% pass · 39.2k tests

See all TRIUMPH models →

Pass rate by registration year

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

Best year to buy used: 1957 (99.1% pass). Weakest: 1994 (79.1%).

75%88%100%1954: 93.8% pass (96 tests)1955: 94.4% pass (108 tests)1956: 93.2% pass (103 tests)1957: 99.1% pass (106 tests)1958: 87.4% pass (135 tests)1959: 92.7% pass (193 tests)1960: 92.9% pass (283 tests)1961: 90.1% pass (203 tests)1962: 92.0% pass (251 tests)1963: 87.8% pass (213 tests)1964: 91.0% pass (268 tests)1965: 92.1% pass (369 tests)1966: 90.9% pass (243 tests)1967: 90.1% pass (302 tests)1968: 93.2% pass (249 tests)1969: 92.9% pass (268 tests)1970: 92.6% pass (242 tests)1971: 88.4% pass (594 tests)1972: 90.8% pass (293 tests)1973: 90.6% pass (297 tests)1975: 84.4% pass (64 tests)1976: 86.7% pass (248 tests)1977: 89.9% pass (149 tests)1978: 86.8% pass (378 tests)1979: 90.0% pass (259 tests)1980: 92.7% pass (82 tests)1981: 87.4% pass (103 tests)1993: 80.8% pass (736 tests)1994: 79.1% pass (949 tests)1995: 81.4% pass (1,118 tests)1996: 80.1% pass (1,333 tests)1997: 79.9% pass (1,103 tests)1998: 79.9% pass (1,197 tests)1999: 81.2% pass (3,153 tests)2000: 82.2% pass (2,394 tests)2001: 84.9% pass (4,249 tests)2002: 84.0% pass (2,999 tests)2003: 85.7% pass (4,303 tests)2004: 84.8% pass (5,482 tests)2005: 84.6% pass (5,963 tests)2006: 85.6% pass (3,962 tests)2007: 87.1% pass (7,272 tests)2008: 87.6% pass (3,334 tests)2009: 88.2% pass (3,137 tests)2010: 88.2% pass (2,364 tests)2011: 91.6% pass (5,020 tests)2012: 90.9% pass (7,975 tests)2013: 91.3% pass (17,127 tests)2014: 91.4% pass (15,802 tests)2015: 92.1% pass (14,781 tests)2016: 92.3% pass (11,202 tests)2017: 93.3% pass (10,707 tests)2018: 93.5% pass (9,141 tests)2019: 93.6% pass (6,140 tests)2020: 92.6% pass (1,754 tests)2021: 94.0% pass (134 tests)195419942021

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.

TRIUMPH TIGER FAQ

answers computed from the data above · terms in the glossary

Is the TRIUMPH TIGER reliable?

The TRIUMPH TIGER is more reliable than average for its class: 89.6% of its 161,363 MOT tests (2005–2025) passed first time, against a class average of 84.9%. That ranks it #1077 of 5428 models.

What does a TIGER fail its MOT on most?

brakes — 40% of all defects recorded against failed TIGER tests.

What is the best year of TIGER to buy used?

By first-time pass rate, 1957-registered examples do best (99.1%) and 1994 worst (79.1%). Condition and history still trump the year.

How many miles will a TIGER last?

The median TIGER shows 16,462 miles at test, and examples around 50k miles still pass 81.1% of the time — mileage alone rarely kills one.

Embed this bike

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