Royal Enfield Bullet 350 vs Yamaha RD350

The Royal Enfield Bullet 350 passes its MOT first time more often than the Yamaha RD350: 89.6% vs 86.3%, a 3.3-point lead.

MOT reliability, side by side

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

Metric	Royal Enfield Bullet 350	Yamaha RD350
First-time pass rate	89.6%	86.3%
Outright fail rate	5.3%	6.6%
Vs comparable bikes (age & mileage adjusted)	+2.7 pts	+2.4 pts
Engine size	346cc	347cc
Rank among all models	#1077 of 5428	#2120 of 5428
Median miles at test	6,094	23,256
MOT tests analysed	7,044	19,574
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.

"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	Royal Enfield Bullet 350	Yamaha RD350
Lights & signalling	3.1%	3.2%
Brakes	1.1%	2.7%
Steering & suspension	0.9%	2.5%
Tyres & wheels	0.6%	0.9%
Fuel & exhaust	0.4%	0.4%
Structure & body	0.4%	0.4%
Drive system	0.2%	0.5%

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	Royal Enfield Bullet 350	Yamaha RD350
2018	93.5%	88.8%
2019	89.9%	91.0%
2020	89.8%	92.0%
2021	88.5%	90.1%
2022	89.2%	90.5%
2023	91.3%	92.2%
2024	92.1%	94.8%
2025	86.1%	93.5%

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	Royal Enfield Bullet 350	Yamaha RD350
0k-10k miles	90.2%	88.9%
10k-20k miles	88.8%	87.5%
20k-30k miles	87.7%	85.5%
30k-40k miles	88.1%	85.3%
40k-50k miles	85.5%	83.7%

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

Royal Enfield Bullet 350 vs Yamaha RD350 FAQ

answers computed from the data above · terms in the glossary

Which is more reliable, the Royal Enfield Bullet 350 or the Yamaha RD350?

The Royal Enfield Bullet 350 passes its MOT first time more often than the Yamaha RD350: 89.6% vs 86.3%, a 3.3-point lead. Adjusted for age, mileage and test class the two are level (+2.7 vs +2.4 points against comparable bikes), so the raw gap is mostly down to how old and how used each fleet is. An MOT checks roadworthiness items, not engine or gearbox internals.

What does the Royal Enfield Bullet 350 fail its MOT on most?

Lights & signalling: 3.1% of Royal Enfield Bullet 350 MOT tests failed on it, then brakes (1.1%).

What does the Yamaha RD350 fail its MOT on most?

Lights & signalling: 3.2% of Yamaha RD350 MOT tests failed on it, then brakes (2.7%).

Which holds up better at high mileage, the Royal Enfield Bullet 350 or the Yamaha RD350?

At 40k-50k miles the Royal Enfield Bullet 350 passes first time more often: 85.5% for the Royal Enfield Bullet 350 vs 83.7% for the Yamaha RD350.

ROYAL ENFIELD BULLET 350 89.6% pass · 7,044 tests YAMAHA RD350 86.3% pass · 19.6k tests

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