Bsa 350 vs Yamaha RD350

The Bsa 350 passes its MOT first time more often than the Yamaha RD350: 95.1% vs 86.3%, a 8.8-point lead.

MOT reliability, side by side

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

Metric	Bsa 350	Yamaha RD350
First-time pass rate	95.1%	86.3%
Outright fail rate	1.1%	6.6%
Engine size	350cc	347cc
Rank among all models	#67 of 5428	#2120 of 5428
Median miles at test	10,609	23,256
MOT tests analysed	266	19,574
Most common failure	steering and suspension	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.

Pass rate by test year

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

Test year	Bsa 350	Yamaha RD350
2006	94.1%	79.9%
2008	96.7%	79.7%
2009	93.3%	80.6%

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

Pass rate by mileage

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

Mileage	Bsa 350	Yamaha RD350
0k-10k miles	96.6%	88.9%
10k-20k miles	98.6%	87.5%

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

BSA 350 95.1% pass · 266 tests YAMAHA RD350 86.3% pass · 19.6k tests

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