Norton 18 vs Suzuki SV650S

The Norton 18 passes its MOT first time more often than the Suzuki SV650S: 95.1% vs 80.6%, a 14.5-point lead.

MOT reliability, side by side

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

Metric	Norton 18	Suzuki SV650S
First-time pass rate	95.1%	80.6%
Outright fail rate	1.3%	11.9%
Engine size	497cc	645cc
Rank among all models	#67 of 5428	#3459 of 5428
Median miles at test	10,096	16,958
MOT tests analysed	387	84,632
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.

Pass rate by test year

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

Test year	Norton 18	Suzuki SV650S
2006	95.3%	85.9%
2007	98.0%	85.5%
2008	95.6%	82.8%
2009	93.2%	80.5%
2010	96.0%	80.3%
2011	93.5%	80.0%
2012	91.2%	78.8%

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	Norton 18	Suzuki SV650S
0k-10k miles	95.4%	88.2%
10k-20k miles	97.3%	81.6%

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

NORTON 18 95.1% pass · 387 tests SUZUKI SV650S 80.6% pass · 84.6k tests

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