BIKERELIABILITY Reg check
League table/ YAMAHA/FJR1300
Model report · 2005–2025

YAMAHA FJR1300

1298cc Petrol Class 2
#1750 of 5428 overall #74 of 409 YAMAHAs #1060 of 2788 other bikes
87.5%
first-time pass rate
7.9%
failed outright
29,408
median miles at test
25.9k
MOT tests, 2005–2025
+5.2pp
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 FJR1300's first-time pass rate has fallen 3.9 points since 2005, 93.0% to 89.1%.

84%89%95%2005: 93.0% pass (171 tests)2006: 91.2% pass (1,455 tests)2007: 89.2% pass (1,633 tests)2008: 88.3% pass (1,652 tests)2009: 86.1% pass (1,592 tests)2010: 85.8% pass (1,608 tests)2011: 85.7% pass (1,613 tests)2012: 86.6% pass (1,548 tests)2013: 87.1% pass (1,538 tests)2014: 85.6% pass (1,491 tests)2015: 88.4% pass (1,443 tests)2016: 87.3% pass (1,385 tests)2017: 87.4% pass (1,315 tests)2018: 86.6% pass (972 tests)2019: 86.6% pass (979 tests)2020: 88.4% pass (847 tests)2021: 89.4% pass (1,081 tests)2022: 86.5% pass (1,062 tests)2023: 88.1% pass (1,028 tests)2024: 87.2% pass (756 tests)2025: 89.1% pass (780 tests)20052025

Pass rate by mileage

how the FJR1300's first-time pass rate falls with the odometer · class average 84.9%

A low-mileage FJR1300 passes first time 92.6% of the time; by 50k that's 84.8%.

83%89%94%0k: 92.6% pass (2,392 tests)10k: 90.0% pass (5,235 tests)20k: 88.2% pass (5,634 tests)30k: 86.5% pass (4,648 tests)40k: 86.6% pass (3,294 tests)50k: 84.8% pass (2,051 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 FJR1300

failure defects by component group · advisories excluded
Component group Share of defects Defects % of defects vs all bikes
brakes
1,051 30.2 0.7×
steering and suspension
660 19 0.7×
lighting and signalling
529 15.2 0.4×
tyres and wheels
519 14.9 0.9×
suspension
261 7.5 1.2×
tyres
184 5.3 0.9×
lamps and reflectors
169 4.9 0.3×
reg plates and vin
57 1.6 0.2×
steering
25 0.7 0.2×
structure and attachments
22 0.6 0.1×

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 FJR1300 beats 2 of its 4 closest rivals (BMW R1200, BMW R1150, TRIUMPH SPRINT).

BMW R1200 92.9% pass · 299k tests Compare head-to-head →
BMW R1150 88.5% pass · 171k tests Compare head-to-head →
TRIUMPH SPRINT 85.6% pass · 133k tests Compare head-to-head →
SUZUKI GSF1200 82.4% pass · 97.6k 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 FJR1300.

Compare with any bike

rival not listed above? pick any model to see it head-to-head with the FJR1300

More YAMAHA models

other YAMAHA bikes ranked by MOT pass rate
YAMAHA YZF-R1 84.1% pass · 232k tests
YAMAHA YZF-R6 79.0% pass · 155k tests
YAMAHA FZS600 82.6% pass · 137k tests
YAMAHA YBR 125 71.0% pass · 125k tests
YAMAHA XJR1300 87.4% pass · 95.1k tests
YAMAHA FZ6 85.2% pass · 67.1k tests

See all YAMAHA models →

Pass rate by registration year

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

Best year to buy used: 2011 (96.2% pass). Weakest: 2001 (86.6%).

85%91%98%2001: 86.6% pass (7,097 tests)2002: 86.8% pass (6,963 tests)2003: 88.2% pass (6,653 tests)2004: 87.9% pass (2,524 tests)2005: 88.7% pass (856 tests)2006: 92.1% pass (340 tests)2007: 90.4% pass (602 tests)2008: 87.3% pass (456 tests)2009: 90.9% pass (187 tests)2010: 89.5% pass (57 tests)2011: 96.2% pass (78 tests)200120062011

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 FJR1300 FAQ

answers computed from the data above · terms in the glossary

Is the YAMAHA FJR1300 reliable?

The YAMAHA FJR1300 is more reliable than average for its class: 87.5% of its 25,949 MOT tests (2005–2025) passed first time, against a class average of 84.9%. That ranks it #1750 of 5428 models.

What does a FJR1300 fail its MOT on most?

brakes — 30% of all defects recorded against failed FJR1300 tests.

What is the best year of FJR1300 to buy used?

By first-time pass rate, 2011-registered examples do best (96.2%) and 2001 worst (86.6%). Condition and history still trump the year.

How many miles will a FJR1300 last?

The median FJR1300 shows 29,408 miles at test, and examples around 50k miles still pass 84.8% of the time — mileage alone rarely kills one.

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