BIKERELIABILITY Reg check
League table/ YAMAHA/XS1100
Model report · 2005–2025

Data as of: DVSA MOT results to 2025

YAMAHA XS1100

1101cc Petrol Class 2
#3459 of 5428 overall #226 of 409 YAMAHAs #2206 of 2788 other bikes
80.6%
first-time pass rate
10.6%
failed outright
34,042
median miles at test
2,758
MOT tests, 2005–2025
-2.8pp
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 · 2005–2022

The XS1100's first-time pass rate has fallen 5.9 points since 2005, 93.8% to 87.9%.

61%80%100%2005: 93.8% pass (48 tests)2006: 82.7% pass (271 tests)2007: 80.0% pass (230 tests)2008: 81.1% pass (222 tests)2009: 77.2% pass (228 tests)2010: 81.1% pass (206 tests)2011: 67.2% pass (201 tests)2012: 80.9% pass (173 tests)2013: 80.2% pass (177 tests)2014: 82.4% pass (176 tests)2015: 75.8% pass (161 tests)2016: 82.5% pass (137 tests)2017: 85.1% pass (134 tests)2018: 90.4% pass (104 tests)2019: 79.6% pass (93 tests)2020: 81.0% pass (58 tests)2021: 83.6% pass (55 tests)2022: 87.9% pass (33 tests)20052022

Pass rate by mileage

how the XS1100's first-time pass rate falls with the odometer · class average 84.9%

A low-mileage XS1100 passes first time 76.9% of the time; by 50k that's 79.6%.

76%80%84%0k: 76.9% pass (363 tests)10k: 82.4% pass (324 tests)20k: 80.4% pass (448 tests)30k: 83.0% pass (536 tests)40k: 83.0% pass (388 tests)50k: 79.6% pass (265 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 XS1100

failure defects by component group · advisories excluded
Component group Share of defects Defects % of defects vs all bikes
brakes
237 33 1.3×
lighting and signalling
210 29.2 1.1×
steering and suspension
89 12.4 0.9×
tyres and wheels
64 8.9 1.0×
fuel and exhaust
34 4.7 1.3×
reg plates and vin
33 4.6 1.9×
body and structure
19 2.6 1.4×
lamps and reflectors
17 2.4 0.3×
driving controls
9 1.3 1.2×
structure and attachments
7 1 0.3×

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 XS1100 beats 0 of its 4 closest rivals (BMW R1200, BMW R1150, TRIUMPH SPRINT).

BMW R1200 92.9% pass · 299k tests Compare head-to-head →
BMW R1150 88.5% pass · 171k tests Compare head-to-head →
TRIUMPH SPRINT 85.6% pass · 133k tests Compare head-to-head →
SUZUKI GSF1200 82.4% pass · 97.6k 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 XS1100.

Compare with any bike

rival not listed above? pick any model to see it head-to-head with the XS1100

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

Highest pass rate: 1978 (83.3%). Lowest: 1982 (73.3%). Every XS1100 year compared →

71%78%85%1971: 80.0% pass (55 tests)1978: 83.3% pass (430 tests)1979: 82.2% pass (651 tests)1980: 80.3% pass (558 tests)1981: 79.9% pass (497 tests)1982: 73.3% pass (161 tests)1983: 74.5% pass (137 tests)1984: 78.4% pass (116 tests)197119811984

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 XS1100 FAQ

answers computed from the data above · terms in the glossary

Is the YAMAHA XS1100 reliable?

The YAMAHA XS1100 is less reliable than average for its class: 80.6% of its 2,758 MOT tests (2005–2025) passed first time, against a class average of 84.9%. That ranks it #3459 of 5428 models.

What does a XS1100 fail its MOT on most?

brakes: 33% of all defects recorded against failed XS1100 tests.

What is the best year of XS1100 to buy used?

By first-time pass rate, 1978-registered examples do best (83.3%) and 1982 worst (73.3%). Condition and history still trump the year.

How many miles will a XS1100 last?

The median XS1100 shows 34,042 miles at test, and examples around 50k miles still pass 79.6% of the time, so mileage alone rarely decides the result.

Embed this bike

Free to embed on your site, blog or forum: a live Yamaha XS1100 reliability card that stays up to date and links back here. More on the free API page.