BIKERELIABILITY Reg check
League table/ Lambretta Lis/vs Piaggio Vespa
Head-to-head · 2005–2025

Data as of: DVSA MOT results to 2025

Lambretta Lis vs Piaggio Vespa

The Lambretta Lis passes its MOT first time more often than the Piaggio Vespa: 81.7% vs 80.7%, a 1.0-point lead.

MOT reliability, side by side

first-time pass rate, outright fail rate and tests analysed · 2005–2025
Metric Lambretta Lis Piaggio Vespa
First-time pass rate 81.7% 80.7%
Outright fail rate 15.0% 12.2%
Engine size 125cc 124cc
Rank among all models #3241 of 5428 #3439 of 5428
Median miles at test 4,050 10,023
MOT tests analysed 387 287,482
Most common failure lighting and signalling 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 Lambretta Lis Piaggio Vespa
2012 91.4% 76.2%
2013 67.6% 76.4%
2014 70.3% 76.6%
2015 70.0% 78.4%
2016 93.5% 79.2%
2017 82.4% 81.0%

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 Lambretta Lis Piaggio Vespa
0k-10k miles 84.7% 85.0%
10k-20k miles 83.9% 77.0%
20k-30k miles 81.0% 75.3%

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

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