MZ 250 vs Honda XR250

The MZ 250 passes its MOT first time more often than the Honda XR250: 88.4% vs 78.8%, a 9.6-point lead.

MOT reliability, side by side

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

Metric	MZ 250	Honda XR250
First-time pass rate	88.4%	78.8%
Outright fail rate	6.6%	12.3%
Vs comparable bikes (age & mileage adjusted)	+4.1 pts	-6.8 pts
Engine size	243cc	249cc
Rank among all models	#1478 of 5428	#3805 of 5428
Median miles at test	26,887	8,618
MOT tests analysed	335	9,277
Most common failure	brakes	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.

"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 mileage

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

Mileage	MZ 250	Honda XR250
0k-10k miles	87.2%	79.5%
10k-20k miles	88.6%	78.9%
20k-30k miles	87.9%	78.3%
30k-40k miles	88.9%	77.7%
40k-50k miles	93.2%	74.1%

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

MZ 250 88.4% pass · 335 tests HONDA XR250 78.8% pass · 9,277 tests

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