Better BT 125-5 vs Yamaha YBR 125

The Yamaha YBR 125 passes its MOT first time more often than the Better BT 125-5: 71.0% vs 64.3%, a 6.7-point lead.

MOT reliability, side by side

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

Metric	Better BT 125-5	Yamaha YBR 125
First-time pass rate	64.3%	71.0%
Outright fail rate	26.5%	17.1%
Vs comparable bikes (age & mileage adjusted)	-11.0 pts	-1.1 pts
Engine size	125cc	124cc
Median miles at test	5,369	10,652
MOT tests analysed	185	124,897
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	Better BT 125-5	Yamaha YBR 125
0k-10k miles	65.2%	76.8%
10k-20k miles	61.0%	67.4%

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

BETTER BT 125-5 64.3% pass · 185 tests YAMAHA YBR 125 71.0% pass · 125k tests

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