BIKERELIABILITY Reg check
League table/ VELOCETTE/MAC
Model report · 2005–2025

VELOCETTE MAC

350cc Petrol Class 2
#384 of 5428 overall #8 of 13 VELOCETTEs #240 of 2788 other bikes
92.5%
first-time pass rate
1.7%
failed outright
9,731
median miles at test
1,489
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 · 2005–2014

The MAC's first-time pass rate has risen 3.5 points since 2005, 90.3% to 93.8%.

85%91%96%2005: 90.3% pass (31 tests)2006: 93.0% pass (200 tests)2007: 93.6% pass (203 tests)2008: 93.3% pass (178 tests)2009: 91.7% pass (181 tests)2010: 91.1% pass (180 tests)2011: 94.5% pass (183 tests)2012: 90.6% pass (149 tests)2013: 87.2% pass (39 tests)2014: 93.8% pass (32 tests)20052014

Pass rate by mileage

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

A low-mileage MAC passes first time 91.2% of the time; by 50k that's 98.5%.

87%93%100%0k: 91.2% pass (731 tests)10k: 92.6% pass (188 tests)20k: 96.6% pass (145 tests)30k: 92.6% pass (135 tests)40k: 88.8% pass (89 tests)50k: 98.5% pass (65 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 MAC

failure defects by component group · advisories excluded
Component group Share of defects Defects % of defects vs all bikes
lighting and signalling
37 54.4 0.2×
steering and suspension
10 14.7 0.2×
tyres and wheels
7 10.3 0.2×
brakes
7 10.3 0.1×
body and structure
2 2.9 0.3×
fuel and exhaust
2 2.9 0.2×
lamps and reflectors
1 1.5 —
tyres
1 1.5 0.1×
driving controls
1 1.5 0.3×

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 MAC 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 MAC.

Compare with any bike

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

More VELOCETTE models

other VELOCETTE bikes ranked by MOT pass rate
VELOCETTE VENOM 94.4% pass · 5,005 tests
VELOCETTE VIPER 93.8% pass · 1,970 tests
VELOCETTE LE 92.2% pass · 1,968 tests
VELOCETTE MSS 95.2% pass · 1,232 tests
VELOCETTE THRUXTON 95.3% pass · 570 tests
VELOCETTE KSS 92.3% pass · 559 tests

See all VELOCETTE models →

Pass rate by registration year

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

Best year to buy used: 1949 (98.1% pass). Weakest: 1952 (86.1%).

84%92%100%1939: 94.0% pass (50 tests)1948: 87.3% pass (63 tests)1949: 98.1% pass (52 tests)1951: 94.3% pass (53 tests)1952: 86.1% pass (72 tests)1953: 92.5% pass (147 tests)1954: 91.3% pass (161 tests)1955: 93.6% pass (202 tests)1956: 91.4% pass (70 tests)1957: 91.8% pass (110 tests)1958: 92.0% pass (75 tests)1959: 87.3% pass (55 tests)1960: 95.8% pass (71 tests)193919541960

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.

VELOCETTE MAC FAQ

answers computed from the data above · terms in the glossary

Is the VELOCETTE MAC reliable?

The VELOCETTE MAC is more reliable than average for its class: 92.5% of its 1,489 MOT tests (2005–2025) passed first time, against a class average of 84.9%. That ranks it #384 of 5428 models.

What does a MAC fail its MOT on most?

lighting and signalling — 54% of all defects recorded against failed MAC tests.

What is the best year of MAC to buy used?

By first-time pass rate, 1949-registered examples do best (98.1%) and 1952 worst (86.1%). Condition and history still trump the year.

How many miles will a MAC last?

The median MAC shows 9,731 miles at test, and examples around 50k miles still pass 98.5% of the time — mileage alone rarely kills one.

Embed this bike

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