BIKERELIABILITY Reg check
League table/ YAMAHA/ XJ900/By year
Registration-year report · 2005–2025

Data as of: DVSA MOT results to 2025

Yamaha XJ900: MOT pass rate by registration year

Which XJ900 years pass first time, and which fall short of the model's 81.2% average, from 37,101 DVSA tests.

2003
highest-passing year · 85.0%
1986
lowest-passing year · 74.0%
11.0pp
spread across 21 years

Pass rate by registration year

first-time pass rate · cohorts with 50 or more tests · registration year from first use date

Highest pass rate: 2003 (85.0% of 1,304 tests). Lowest: 1986 (74.0% of 146). Years more than two points below the model average: 1984, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1996.

72%80%87%1983: 79.7% pass (207 tests)1984: 77.8% pass (117 tests)1985: 75.9% pass (116 tests)1986: 74.0% pass (146 tests)1987: 77.0% pass (148 tests)1988: 82.2% pass (348 tests)1989: 80.6% pass (820 tests)1990: 78.7% pass (1,078 tests)1991: 76.9% pass (1,314 tests)1992: 76.9% pass (909 tests)1993: 78.9% pass (588 tests)1994: 77.2% pass (1,038 tests)1995: 79.9% pass (3,588 tests)1996: 79.0% pass (3,200 tests)1997: 81.6% pass (4,929 tests)1998: 82.6% pass (5,264 tests)1999: 82.0% pass (5,235 tests)2000: 83.6% pass (2,865 tests)2001: 83.7% pass (2,059 tests)2002: 83.1% pass (1,753 tests)2003: 85.0% pass (1,304 tests)198319932003
RegisteredTestsFirst-time passvs model (81.2%)
1983 207 79.7% -1.5 pp
1984 117 77.8% -3.4 pp
1985 116 75.9% -5.3 pp
1986 146 74.0% -7.2 pp
1987 148 77.0% -4.2 pp
1988 348 82.2% +1.0 pp
1989 820 80.6% -0.6 pp
1990 1,078 78.7% -2.5 pp
1991 1,314 76.9% -4.3 pp
1992 909 76.9% -4.3 pp
1993 588 78.9% -2.3 pp
1994 1,038 77.2% -4.0 pp
1995 3,588 79.9% -1.3 pp
1996 3,200 79.0% -2.2 pp
1997 4,929 81.6% +0.4 pp
1998 5,264 82.6% +1.4 pp
1999 5,235 82.0% +0.8 pp
2000 2,865 83.6% +2.4 pp
2001 2,059 83.7% +2.5 pp
2002 1,753 83.1% +1.9 pp
2003 1,304 85.0% +3.8 pp

Older cohorts are survivors: the worst examples have already left the road, which tends to lift the earliest years. A first-time MOT pass is a roadworthiness check, not a full mechanical inspection.

Pass rate over time

first-time pass rate by test year · 2005–2025
77%82%87%2005: 83.1% pass (591 tests)2006: 82.2% pass (3,220 tests)2007: 82.3% pass (2,974 tests)2008: 80.7% pass (2,792 tests)2009: 80.0% pass (2,696 tests)2010: 79.9% pass (2,483 tests)2011: 79.5% pass (2,410 tests)2012: 78.6% pass (2,219 tests)2013: 78.6% pass (2,161 tests)2014: 80.8% pass (2,047 tests)2015: 81.7% pass (1,930 tests)2016: 80.3% pass (1,789 tests)2017: 81.5% pass (1,656 tests)2018: 84.8% pass (1,176 tests)2019: 82.8% pass (1,184 tests)2020: 82.8% pass (947 tests)2021: 83.3% pass (1,199 tests)2022: 83.1% pass (1,101 tests)2023: 83.3% pass (1,050 tests)2024: 85.2% pass (732 tests)2025: 82.8% pass (744 tests)20052025

Questions

Which XJ900 years have the lowest MOT pass rate?
1984, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1996 registered examples pass first time less often than the Yamaha XJ900 overall (81.2%); the 1986 cohort is lowest at 74.0% from 146 tests.
Which XJ900 year has the highest MOT pass rate?
2003, at 85.0% of 1,304 first tests (2005–2025). Years more than two points above the model average: 2000, 2001, 2003.
How much does the XJ900 pass rate vary by year?
11.0 percentage points between the highest (2003, 85.0%) and lowest (1986, 74.0%) cohorts with at least 50 tests. Older cohorts are survivors: the worst examples have already left the road, which tends to lift the earliest years.

Full report: Yamaha XJ900 reliability, failures and mileage · ranked #3336 of 5428 models· other Yamaha models: YZF-R1, YZF-R6, FZS600, YBR 125, XJR1300, FZ6