Suzuki Gsxr 1000 ZL3 vs Honda CBR900RR

The Suzuki Gsxr 1000 ZL3 passes its MOT first time more often than the Honda CBR900RR: 92.0% vs 83.2%, a 8.8-point lead.

MOT reliability, side by side

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

Metric	Suzuki Gsxr 1000 ZL3	Honda CBR900RR
First-time pass rate	92.0%	83.2%
Outright fail rate	3.0%	9.8%
Vs comparable bikes (age & mileage adjusted)	+4.6 pts	+0.1 pts
Engine size	999cc	918cc
Rank among all models	#470 of 5428	#2911 of 5428
Median miles at test	8,434	22,163
MOT tests analysed	463	165,881
Most common failure	lamps and reflectors	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	Suzuki Gsxr 1000 ZL3	Honda CBR900RR
2018	90.2%	84.7%
2019	95.5%	84.8%
2020	92.3%	85.5%
2021	91.1%	86.2%
2022	93.0%	86.6%
2023	95.5%	87.7%
2024	76.7%	87.0%
2025	93.5%	88.8%

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	Suzuki Gsxr 1000 ZL3	Honda CBR900RR
0k-10k miles	91.5%	88.6%
10k-20k miles	93.0%	85.5%
20k-30k miles	92.5%	81.9%

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

SUZUKI GSXR 1000 ZL3 92.0% pass · 463 tests HONDA CBR900RR 83.2% pass · 166k tests

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