Norton 50 vs Suzuki DR-Z400S

The Norton 50 passes its MOT first time more often than the Suzuki DR-Z400S: 91.5% vs 80.4%, a 11.1-point lead.

MOT reliability, side by side

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

Metric	Norton 50	Suzuki DR-Z400S
First-time pass rate	91.5%	80.4%
Outright fail rate	0.8%	11.1%
Engine size	350cc	398cc
Rank among all models	#567 of 5428	#3493 of 5428
Median miles at test	19,595	6,940
MOT tests analysed	365	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	Norton 50	Suzuki DR-Z400S
2006	95.0%	83.5%
2007	90.7%	83.1%
2008	91.9%	80.5%
2009	90.3%	78.2%
2011	86.8%	78.3%

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 50	Suzuki DR-Z400S
0k-10k miles	85.7%	81.7%
10k-20k miles	95.1%	78.4%
20k-30k miles	90.6%	79.2%
30k-40k miles	97.7%	76.4%

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

NORTON 50 91.5% pass · 365 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.