YAMAHA YQ50

49cc Petrol Class 1

#5274 of 5426 overall #407 of 409 YAMAHAs #396 of 455 moped bikes

58.0%

first-time pass rate

33.2%

failed outright

12,345

median miles at test

24.7k

MOT tests, 2005–2025

Pass rate over time

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

The YQ50's first-time pass rate has risen 8.8 points since 2005, 61.3% to 70.1%.

Pass rate by mileage

how the YQ50's first-time pass rate falls with the odometer · class average 73.4%

A low-mileage YQ50 passes first time 63.2% of the time; by 40k that's 56.1%.

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 YQ50

failure defects by component group · advisories excluded

Component group	Defects	% of defects	vs all bikes
lighting and signalling	11,206	41.9	5.5×
brakes	5,384	20.1	3.5×
steering and suspension	4,506	16.9	4.0×
lamps and reflectors	1,395	5.2	1.7×
tyres and wheels	1,265	4.7	2.2×
fuel and exhaust	1,228	4.6	5.8×
body and structure	658	2.5	4.7×
reg plates and vin	517	1.9	3.1×
suspension	337	1.3	1.4×
Items Not Tested	226	0.8	8.6×

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 YQ50 beats 0 of its 4 closest rivals (PEUGEOT SPEEDFIGHT, PIAGGIO ZIP, PIAGGIO NRG).

PEUGEOT SPEEDFIGHT 65.2% pass · 83.7k tests PIAGGIO ZIP 71.3% pass · 79.0k tests PIAGGIO NRG 65.5% pass · 40.5k tests PEUGEOT VIVACITY 70.4% pass · 29.7k 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 YQ50.

Pass rate by registration year

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

Best year to buy used: 2013 (64.9% pass). Weakest: 2015 (50.9%).

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 YQ50 FAQ

answers computed from the data above · terms in the glossary

Is the YAMAHA YQ50 reliable?

The YAMAHA YQ50 is less reliable than average for its class: 58.0% of its 24,662 MOT tests (2005–2025) passed first time, against a class average of 73.4%. That ranks it #5274 of 5426 models.

What does a YQ50 fail its MOT on most?

lighting and signalling — 42% of all defects recorded against failed YQ50 tests.

What is the best year of YQ50 to buy used?

By first-time pass rate, 2013-registered examples do best (64.9%) and 2015 worst (50.9%). Condition and history still trump the year.

How many miles will a YQ50 last?

The median YQ50 shows 12,345 miles at test, and examples around 40k miles still pass 56.1% of the time — mileage alone rarely kills one.