BIKERELIABILITY Reg check
League table/ YAMAHA/FZR600
Model report · 2005–2025

YAMAHA FZR600

598cc Petrol Class 2
#4609 of 5428 overall #351 of 409 YAMAHAs #2760 of 2788 other bikes
71.6%
first-time pass rate
18.9%
failed outright
28,589
median miles at test
11.8k
MOT tests, 2005–2025
-10.2pp
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 FZR600's first-time pass rate has risen 12.7 points since 2005, 72.5% to 85.2%.

61%76%90%2005: 72.5% pass (276 tests)2006: 71.9% pass (1,313 tests)2007: 71.2% pass (1,138 tests)2008: 68.5% pass (1,008 tests)2009: 65.8% pass (967 tests)2010: 67.7% pass (861 tests)2011: 67.6% pass (816 tests)2012: 68.5% pass (731 tests)2013: 70.0% pass (647 tests)2014: 69.2% pass (594 tests)2015: 72.3% pass (535 tests)2016: 74.2% pass (477 tests)2017: 75.4% pass (431 tests)2018: 73.7% pass (281 tests)2019: 77.9% pass (289 tests)2020: 78.7% pass (216 tests)2021: 79.7% pass (316 tests)2022: 84.9% pass (272 tests)2023: 83.7% pass (233 tests)2024: 80.7% pass (171 tests)2025: 85.2% pass (182 tests)20052025

Pass rate by mileage

how the FZR600's first-time pass rate falls with the odometer · class average 84.9%

A low-mileage FZR600 passes first time 76.0% of the time; by 50k that's 65.0%.

63%71%79%0k: 76.0% pass (797 tests)10k: 77.0% pass (1,894 tests)20k: 73.1% pass (3,658 tests)30k: 68.2% pass (3,003 tests)40k: 69.0% pass (1,484 tests)50k: 65.0% pass (492 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 FZR600

failure defects by component group · advisories excluded
Component group Share of defects Defects % of defects vs all bikes
lighting and signalling
1,721 28.3 2.2×
brakes
1,389 22.9 1.9×
steering and suspension
1,286 21.2 2.5×
tyres and wheels
512 8.4 1.9×
fuel and exhaust
308 5.1 3.1×
drive system
260 4.3 2.3×
reg plates and vin
172 2.8 2.2×
lamps and reflectors
163 2.7 0.6×
body and structure
158 2.6 2.4×
suspension
103 1.7 0.9×

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 FZR600 beats 0 of its 4 closest rivals (KAWASAKI ZX-6R, SUZUKI GSF600, YAMAHA FZS600).

KAWASAKI ZX-6R 78.1% pass · 174k tests Compare head-to-head →
SUZUKI GSF600 77.3% pass · 143k tests Compare head-to-head →
YAMAHA FZS600 82.6% pass · 137k tests Compare head-to-head →
SUZUKI SV650S 80.6% pass · 84.6k 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 FZR600.

Compare with any bike

rival not listed above? pick any model to see it head-to-head with the FZR600

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: 2000 (85.2% pass). Weakest: 1990 (67.3%).

64%76%89%1989: 67.7% pass (1,260 tests)1990: 67.3% pass (1,132 tests)1991: 68.5% pass (1,034 tests)1992: 70.3% pass (800 tests)1993: 67.8% pass (490 tests)1994: 71.7% pass (2,787 tests)1995: 74.3% pass (2,559 tests)1996: 76.5% pass (782 tests)1997: 72.7% pass (161 tests)1998: 69.8% pass (126 tests)1999: 81.5% pass (81 tests)2000: 85.2% pass (88 tests)2001: 82.5% pass (80 tests)2002: 77.8% pass (90 tests)2003: 83.3% pass (96 tests)198919962003

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 FZR600 FAQ

answers computed from the data above · terms in the glossary

Is the YAMAHA FZR600 reliable?

The YAMAHA FZR600 is less reliable than average for its class: 71.6% of its 11,754 MOT tests (2005–2025) passed first time, against a class average of 84.9%. That ranks it #4609 of 5428 models.

What does a FZR600 fail its MOT on most?

lighting and signalling — 28% of all defects recorded against failed FZR600 tests.

What is the best year of FZR600 to buy used?

By first-time pass rate, 2000-registered examples do best (85.2%) and 1990 worst (67.3%). Condition and history still trump the year.

How many miles will a FZR600 last?

The median FZR600 shows 28,589 miles at test, and examples around 50k miles still pass 65.0% of the time — mileage alone rarely kills one.

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