Pulse BT 49 QT-20CA Force vs Piaggio Zip

The Piaggio Zip passes its MOT first time more often than the Pulse BT 49 QT-20CA Force: 71.3% vs 62.4%, a 8.9-point lead.

MOT reliability, side by side

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

Metric	Pulse BT 49 QT-20CA Force	Piaggio Zip
First-time pass rate	62.4%	71.3%
Outright fail rate	30.7%	20.4%
Vs comparable bikes (age & mileage adjusted)	-12.8 pts	-1.0 pts
Engine size	49cc	49cc
Median miles at test	5,040	8,882
MOT tests analysed	189	78,993
Most common failure	steering and suspension	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 test year

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

Test year	Pulse BT 49 QT-20CA Force	Piaggio Zip
2014	60.0%	68.8%
2015	66.7%	69.8%
2016	65.9%	71.0%

Each year mixes bikes of different ages, so a fleet that is getting older tends to slip.

PULSE BT 49 QT-20CA FORCE 62.4% pass · 189 tests PIAGGIO ZIP 71.3% pass · 79.0k tests

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