Armstrong 500 vs Suzuki GSF600

The Armstrong 500 passes its MOT first time more often than the Suzuki GSF600: 85.3% vs 77.3%, a 8.0-point lead.

MOT reliability, side by side

first-time pass rate, outright fail rate and tests analysed · 2005–2025

Metric	Armstrong 500	Suzuki GSF600
First-time pass rate	85.3%	77.3%
Outright fail rate	9.0%	14.2%
Vs comparable bikes (age & mileage adjusted)	+1.8 pts	-6.1 pts
Engine size	500cc	599cc
Median miles at test	16,241	21,080
MOT tests analysed	177	143,023
Most common failure	lighting and signalling	brakes

First-time outcomes on normal tests, 2005–2025. "Most common failure" is the component group with the most recorded defects on failed tests. Read pass rates against test counts: a smaller sample is noisier. Source: DVSA anonymised MOT results.

"Vs comparable bikes" is the first-time pass rate minus the rate expected for each bike's own mix of age, mileage and test class, in percentage points: positive means better than comparable bikes. How this works.

Pass rate by mileage

first-time MOT pass rate by miles on the clock at test

Mileage	Armstrong 500	Suzuki GSF600
0k-10k miles	77.1%	86.8%
10k-20k miles	86.9%	80.1%
20k-30k miles	94.1%	75.2%

Bands with fewer than 30 tests for either bike are left out.

ARMSTRONG 500 85.3% pass · 177 tests SUZUKI GSF600 77.3% pass · 143k tests

See each bike's full report (trend, mileage curve, failure breakdown and rivals) on its own page.