YAMAHA XP500

499cc Petrol Class 2

#1748 of 5426 overall #74 of 409 YAMAHAs #1058 of 2787 other bikes

87.5%

first-time pass rate

8.1%

failed outright

16,607

median miles at test

12.3k

MOT tests, 2005–2025

Pass rate over time

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

The XP500's first-time pass rate has fallen 3.1 points since 2005, 92.6% to 89.5%.

Pass rate by mileage

how the XP500's first-time pass rate falls with the odometer · class average 84.9%

A low-mileage XP500 passes first time 93.0% of the time; by 50k that's 77.4%.

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 XP500

failure defects by component group · advisories excluded

Component group	Defects	% of defects	vs all bikes
brakes	756	42.3	1.0×
tyres and wheels	314	17.6	1.1×
lighting and signalling	267	14.9	0.4×
steering and suspension	205	11.5	0.5×
lamps and reflectors	86	4.8	0.3×
tyres	61	3.4	0.6×
suspension	45	2.5	0.4×
steering	20	1.1	0.4×
reg plates and vin	18	1	0.2×
driving controls	17	1	0.6×

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 XP500 beats 4 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 XP500.

Pass rate by registration year

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

Best year to buy used: 2014 (97.4% pass). Weakest: 2005 (84.6%).

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 XP500 FAQ

answers computed from the data above · terms in the glossary

Is the YAMAHA XP500 reliable?

The YAMAHA XP500 is more reliable than average for its class: 87.5% of its 12,341 MOT tests (2005–2025) passed first time, against a class average of 84.9%. That ranks it #1748 of 5426 models.

What does a XP500 fail its MOT on most?

brakes — 42% of all defects recorded against failed XP500 tests.

What is the best year of XP500 to buy used?

By first-time pass rate, 2014-registered examples do best (97.4%) and 2005 worst (84.6%). Condition and history still trump the year.

How many miles will a XP500 last?

The median XP500 shows 16,607 miles at test, and examples around 50k miles still pass 77.4% of the time — mileage alone rarely kills one.