Royal Enfield Super Meteor vs Triumph Thunderbird

The Royal Enfield Super Meteor passes its MOT first time more often than the Triumph Thunderbird: 91.7% vs 87.8%, a 3.9-point lead.

MOT reliability, side by side

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

Metric	Royal Enfield Super Meteor	Triumph Thunderbird
First-time pass rate	91.7%	87.8%
Outright fail rate	3.1%	6.2%
Engine size	700cc	885cc
Median miles at test	8,720	13,106
MOT tests analysed	192	56,312
Most common failure	lighting and signalling	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.

Pass rate by mileage

first-time MOT pass rate by miles on the clock at test

Mileage	Royal Enfield Super Meteor	Triumph Thunderbird
0k-10k miles	90.6%	90.5%
20k-30k miles	87.9%	85.4%

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

ROYAL ENFIELD SUPER METEOR 91.7% pass · 192 tests TRIUMPH THUNDERBIRD 87.8% pass · 56.3k tests

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