Piaggio Vespa GTS vs Honda Forza 300/350

The Honda Forza 300/350 passes its MOT first time more often than the Piaggio Vespa GTS: 89.6% vs 86.6%, a 3.0-point lead.

MOT reliability, side by side

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

Metric	Piaggio Vespa GTS	Honda Forza 300/350
First-time pass rate	86.6%	89.6%
Outright fail rate	8.4%	7.3%
Vs comparable bikes (age & mileage adjusted)	+1.1 pts	+2.6 pts
Engine size	244cc	279cc
Rank among all models	#2016 of 5428	#1077 of 5428
Median miles at test	13,129	9,648
MOT tests analysed	3,751	10,821
Most common failure	tyres and wheels	brakes

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.

What fails, side by side

share of each bike's MOT tests that failed on the component · lower is better

Component	Piaggio Vespa GTS	Honda Forza 300/350
Tyres & wheels	3.3%	2.6%
Brakes	1.7%	3.4%
Lights & signalling	3.3%	1.7%
Steering & suspension	1.5%	1.8%
Fuel & exhaust	1.3%	0.0%
Structure & body	0.7%	0.4%

A test that fails on two components counts once in each. Component links go to the bikes most likely to fail on it.

Pass rate by test year

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

Test year	Piaggio Vespa GTS	Honda Forza 300/350
2018	87.4%	87.4%
2019	91.2%	88.4%
2020	83.8%	87.6%
2021	89.3%	88.2%
2022	84.1%	90.5%
2023	83.9%	89.2%
2024	92.4%	90.2%
2025	89.9%	91.8%

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	Piaggio Vespa GTS	Honda Forza 300/350
0k-10k miles	90.5%	94.2%
10k-20k miles	86.7%	87.6%
20k-30k miles	83.5%	81.3%
30k-40k miles	79.9%	82.1%
40k-50k miles	76.7%	83.2%
50k-60k miles	87.8%	79.1%

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

Piaggio Vespa GTS vs Honda Forza 300/350 FAQ

answers computed from the data above · terms in the glossary

Which is more reliable, the Piaggio Vespa GTS or the Honda Forza 300/350?

The Honda Forza 300/350 passes its MOT first time more often than the Piaggio Vespa GTS: 89.6% vs 86.6%, a 3.0-point lead. Adjusted for age, mileage and test class, the Honda Forza 300/350 still comes out ahead: +1.1 points vs comparable bikes for the Piaggio Vespa GTS, +2.6 for the Honda Forza 300/350. An MOT checks roadworthiness items, not engine or gearbox internals.

What does the Piaggio Vespa GTS fail its MOT on most?

Tyres & wheels: 3.3% of Piaggio Vespa GTS MOT tests failed on it, then lights & signalling (3.3%).

What does the Honda Forza 300/350 fail its MOT on most?

Brakes: 3.4% of Honda Forza 300/350 MOT tests failed on it, then tyres & wheels (2.6%).

Which holds up better at high mileage, the Piaggio Vespa GTS or the Honda Forza 300/350?

At 50k-60k miles the Piaggio Vespa GTS passes first time more often: 87.8% for the Piaggio Vespa GTS vs 79.1% for the Honda Forza 300/350.

PIAGGIO VESPA GTS 86.6% pass · 3,751 tests HONDA Forza 300/350 89.6% pass · 10.8k tests

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