YAMAHA FZS600

599cc Petrol Class 2

#3052 of 5426 overall #183 of 409 YAMAHAs #1940 of 2787 other bikes

YAMAHA FZS600 — Photo: Estrnc · CC BY 3.0

82.6%

first-time pass rate

10.6%

failed outright

21,612

median miles at test

137k

MOT tests, 2005–2025

Pass rate over time

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

The FZS600's first-time pass rate has fallen 2.0 points since 2005, 86.0% to 84.0%.

Pass rate by mileage

how the FZS600's first-time pass rate falls with the odometer · class average 84.9%

A low-mileage FZS600 passes first time 89.6% of the time; by 50k that's 74.7%.

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 FZS600

failure defects by component group · advisories excluded

Component group	Defects	% of defects	vs all bikes
brakes	8,935	31.5	1.1×
lighting and signalling	4,773	16.8	0.6×
tyres and wheels	3,784	13.3	1.2×
steering and suspension	3,316	11.7	0.7×
lamps and reflectors	1,800	6.3	0.6×
fuel and exhaust	1,681	5.9	1.4×
drive system	1,452	5.1	1.2×
structure and attachments	917	3.2	0.8×
body and structure	893	3.1	1.2×
suspension	855	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 FZS600 beats 3 of its 4 closest rivals (KAWASAKI ZX-6R, SUZUKI GSF600, SUZUKI SV650S).

KAWASAKI ZX-6R 78.1% pass · 174k tests SUZUKI GSF600 77.3% pass · 143k tests SUZUKI SV650S 80.6% pass · 84.6k tests YAMAHA FZ6 85.2% pass · 67.1k 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 FZS600.

Pass rate by registration year

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

Best year to buy used: 2003 (86.1% pass). Weakest: 2004 (77.6%).

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 FZS600 FAQ

answers computed from the data above · terms in the glossary

Is the YAMAHA FZS600 reliable?

The YAMAHA FZS600 is less reliable than average for its class: 82.6% of its 136,558 MOT tests (2005–2025) passed first time, against a class average of 84.9%. That ranks it #3052 of 5426 models.

What does a FZS600 fail its MOT on most?

brakes — 31% of all defects recorded against failed FZS600 tests.

What is the best year of FZS600 to buy used?

By first-time pass rate, 2003-registered examples do best (86.1%) and 2006 worst (77.6%). Condition and history still trump the year.

How many miles will a FZS600 last?

The median FZS600 shows 21,612 miles at test, and examples around 50k miles still pass 74.7% of the time — mileage alone rarely kills one.