Buell XB12 XT Ulysses vs Triumph Sprint

The Buell XB12 XT Ulysses passes its MOT first time more often than the Triumph Sprint: 86.6% vs 85.6%, a 1.0-point lead.

MOT reliability, side by side

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

Metric	Buell XB12 XT Ulysses	Triumph Sprint
First-time pass rate	86.6%	85.6%
Outright fail rate	6.9%	8.8%
Vs comparable bikes (age & mileage adjusted)	+1.1 pts	+1.8 pts
Engine size	1,203cc	955cc
Rank among all models	#2016 of 5428	#2333 of 5428
Median miles at test	14,366	20,615
MOT tests analysed	462	132,827
Most common failure	lamps and reflectors	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 test year

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

Test year	Buell XB12 XT Ulysses	Triumph Sprint
2012	84.1%	84.5%
2013	80.9%	85.4%
2014	90.5%	85.3%
2015	92.7%	85.6%
2016	92.1%	85.6%
2017	90.9%	85.5%
2021	80.6%	86.7%

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	Buell XB12 XT Ulysses	Triumph Sprint
0k-10k miles	92.9%	90.9%
10k-20k miles	83.7%	87.5%
20k-30k miles	89.5%	85.0%
30k-40k miles	80.6%	82.1%

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

BUELL XB12 XT ULYSSES 86.6% pass · 462 tests TRIUMPH SPRINT 85.6% pass · 133k tests

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