Data as of: DVSA MOT results to 2025
Yamaha XT500: MOT pass rate by registration year
Which XT500 years pass first time, and which fall short of the model's 81.7% average, from 4,244 DVSA tests.
Pass rate by registration year
Highest pass rate: 1986 (90.7% of 54 tests). Lowest: 1982 (78.8% of 236). Years more than two points below the model average: 1982.
| Registered | Tests | First-time pass | vs model (81.7%) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1971 | 71 | 85.9% | +4.2 pp |
| 1976 | 444 | 83.8% | +2.1 pp |
| 1977 | 785 | 81.4% | -0.3 pp |
| 1978 | 683 | 80.2% | -1.5 pp |
| 1979 | 507 | 79.9% | -1.8 pp |
| 1980 | 514 | 83.3% | +1.6 pp |
| 1981 | 444 | 81.5% | -0.2 pp |
| 1982 | 236 | 78.8% | -2.9 pp |
| 1983 | 128 | 82.8% | +1.1 pp |
| 1986 | 54 | 90.7% | +9.0 pp |
| 1997 | 51 | 86.3% | +4.6 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
Questions
- Which XT500 years have the lowest MOT pass rate?
- 1982 registered examples pass first time less often than the Yamaha XT500 overall (81.7%); the 1982 cohort is lowest at 78.8% from 236 tests.
- Which XT500 year has the highest MOT pass rate?
- 1986, at 90.7% of 54 first tests (2005–2025). Years more than two points above the model average: 1971, 1976, 1986, 1997.
- How much does the XT500 pass rate vary by year?
- 11.9 percentage points between the highest (1986, 90.7%) and lowest (1982, 78.8%) 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 XT500 reliability, failures and mileage · ranked #3241 of 5428 models· other Yamaha models: YZF-R1, YZF-R6, FZS600, YBR 125, XJR1300, FZ6