Matchless 350 vs Yamaha RD350

The Matchless 350 passes its MOT first time more often than the Yamaha RD350: 89.7% vs 86.3%, a 3.4-point lead.

MOT reliability, side by side

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

Metric	Matchless 350	Yamaha RD350
First-time pass rate	89.7%	86.3%
Outright fail rate	4.4%	6.6%
Engine size	350cc	347cc
Rank among all models	#1049 of 5428	#2120 of 5428
Median miles at test	16,345	23,256
MOT tests analysed	273	19,574
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	Yamaha RD350
2006	89.5%	79.9%
2007	93.5%	81.2%
2008	83.3%	79.7%
2010	94.1%	81.9%

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	Yamaha RD350
0k-10k miles	93.2%	88.9%
10k-20k miles	98.3%	87.5%
20k-30k miles	86.5%	85.5%
30k-40k miles	90.0%	85.3%
40k-50k miles	73.3%	83.7%

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

MATCHLESS 350 89.7% pass · 273 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.