Norton Dominator 99 vs Suzuki SV650S

The Norton Dominator 99 passes its MOT first time more often than the Suzuki SV650S: 90.9% vs 80.6%, a 10.3-point lead.

MOT reliability, side by side

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

Metric	Norton Dominator 99	Suzuki SV650S
First-time pass rate	90.9%	80.6%
Outright fail rate	3.4%	11.9%
Engine size	600cc	645cc
Rank among all models	#705 of 5428	#3459 of 5428
Median miles at test	12,813	16,958
MOT tests analysed	471	84,632
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 Dominator 99	Suzuki SV650S
2007	90.0%	85.5%
2008	88.6%	82.8%
2009	91.3%	80.5%
2010	86.7%	80.3%
2011	85.7%	80.0%
2012	92.9%	78.8%
2015	93.3%	78.6%
2016	90.3%	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	Norton Dominator 99	Suzuki SV650S
0k-10k miles	89.2%	88.2%
10k-20k miles	91.5%	81.6%
20k-30k miles	87.5%	76.9%
30k-40k miles	98.4%	73.6%

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

NORTON DOMINATOR 99 90.9% pass · 471 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.