Matchless 350 vs Suzuki DR-Z400S

The Matchless 350 passes its MOT first time more often than the Suzuki DR-Z400S: 89.7% vs 80.4%, a 9.3-point lead.

MOT reliability, side by side

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

Metric	Matchless 350	Suzuki DR-Z400S
First-time pass rate	89.7%	80.4%
Outright fail rate	4.4%	11.1%
Engine size	350cc	398cc
Rank among all models	#1049 of 5428	#3493 of 5428
Median miles at test	16,345	6,940
MOT tests analysed	273	26,773
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	Matchless 350	Suzuki DR-Z400S
2006	89.5%	83.5%
2007	93.5%	83.1%
2008	83.3%	80.5%
2010	94.1%	78.9%

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	Matchless 350	Suzuki DR-Z400S
0k-10k miles	93.2%	81.7%
10k-20k miles	98.3%	78.4%
20k-30k miles	86.5%	79.2%
30k-40k miles	90.0%	76.4%
40k-50k miles	73.3%	75.2%

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

MATCHLESS 350 89.7% pass · 273 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.