YAMAHA R

599cc Petrol Class 2

#4243 of 5426 overall #316 of 409 YAMAHAs #2636 of 2787 other bikes

75.5%

first-time pass rate

17.7%

failed outright

15,625

median miles at test

237

MOT tests, 2005–2025

Pass rate over time

first-time pass rate by test year · 2006–2008

The R's first-time pass rate has fallen 11.0 points since 2006, 87.0% to 76.0%.

Pass rate by mileage

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

A low-mileage R passes first time 77.6% of the time; by 20k that's 62.5%.

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 R

failure defects by component group · advisories excluded

Component group	Defects	% of defects
lighting and signalling	47	37.6
steering and suspension	20	16
brakes	17	13.6
tyres and wheels	15	12
reg plates and vin	13	10.4
fuel and exhaust	7	5.6
drive system	4	3.2
Items Not Tested	1	0.8
driving controls	1	0.8

Defects recorded against failed normal tests, 2005–2025, grouped by DVSA inspection section. One test can record multiple defects.

How rivals compare

same type, similar capacity, high test volume

On first-time pass rate the R beats 0 of its 4 closest rivals (KAWASAKI ZX-6R, SUZUKI GSF600, YAMAHA FZS600).

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

Pass rate by registration year

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

Best year to buy used: 1999 (79.5% pass). Weakest: 1999 (79.5%).

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.