YAMAHA EW50

49cc Petrol Class 1

#4851 of 5426 overall #380 of 409 YAMAHAs #272 of 455 moped bikes

68.0%

first-time pass rate

22.1%

failed outright

8,158

median miles at test

2,271

MOT tests, 2005–2025

Pass rate over time

first-time pass rate by test year · 2005–2022

The EW50's first-time pass rate has risen 11.7 points since 2005, 68.9% to 80.6%.

Pass rate by mileage

how the EW50's first-time pass rate falls with the odometer · class average 73.4%

A low-mileage EW50 passes first time 70.8% of the time; by 20k that's 63.3%.

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 EW50

failure defects by component group · advisories excluded

Component group	Defects	% of defects	vs all bikes
lighting and signalling	808	48.7	3.9×
steering and suspension	302	18.2	2.9×
brakes	242	14.6	1.9×
lamps and reflectors	85	5.1	0.9×
tyres and wheels	79	4.8	1.5×
fuel and exhaust	62	3.7	3.3×
body and structure	30	1.8	2.6×
reg plates and vin	25	1.5	1.8×
steering	14	0.8	1.2×
Items Not Tested	13	0.8	5.3×

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 EW50 beats 2 of its 4 closest rivals (PEUGEOT SPEEDFIGHT, PIAGGIO ZIP, PIAGGIO NRG).

PEUGEOT SPEEDFIGHT 65.2% pass · 83.7k tests PIAGGIO ZIP 71.3% pass · 79.0k tests PIAGGIO NRG 65.5% pass · 40.5k tests PEUGEOT VIVACITY 70.4% pass · 29.7k tests

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 EW50.

Pass rate by registration year

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

Best year to buy used: 2003 (72.7% pass). Weakest: 2000 (66.4%).

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.

YAMAHA EW50 FAQ

answers computed from the data above · terms in the glossary

Is the YAMAHA EW50 reliable?

The YAMAHA EW50 is less reliable than average for its class: 68.0% of its 2,271 MOT tests (2005–2025) passed first time, against a class average of 73.4%. That ranks it #4851 of 5426 models.

What does a EW50 fail its MOT on most?

lighting and signalling — 49% of all defects recorded against failed EW50 tests.

What is the best year of EW50 to buy used?

By first-time pass rate, 2003-registered examples do best (72.7%) and 2000 worst (66.4%). Condition and history still trump the year.

How many miles will a EW50 last?

The median EW50 shows 8,158 miles at test, and examples around 20k miles still pass 63.3% of the time — mileage alone rarely kills one.