Benelli Imperiale 400 vs Suzuki DR-Z400S

The Benelli Imperiale 400 passes its MOT first time more often than the Suzuki DR-Z400S: 87.6% vs 80.4%, a 7.2-point lead.

MOT reliability, side by side

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

Metric	Benelli Imperiale 400	Suzuki DR-Z400S
First-time pass rate	87.6%	80.4%
Outright fail rate	5.3%	11.1%
Vs comparable bikes (age & mileage adjusted)	-2.3 pts	-6.5 pts
Engine size	374cc	398cc
Median miles at test	2,308	6,940
MOT tests analysed	170	26,773
Most common failure	lamps and reflectors	lighting and signalling

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 test year

first-time MOT pass rate in each calendar year both bikes were tested

Test year	Benelli Imperiale 400	Suzuki DR-Z400S
2023	90.0%	84.9%
2024	87.9%	84.3%
2025	85.0%	83.7%

Each year mixes bikes of different ages, so a fleet that is getting older tends to slip.

BENELLI IMPERIALE 400 87.6% pass · 170 tests SUZUKI DR-Z400S 80.4% pass · 26.8k tests

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