Triumph Tiger 800 Abs vs Honda CRF1000L Africa Twin

The Honda CRF1000L Africa Twin passes its MOT first time more often than the Triumph Tiger 800 Abs: 95.3% vs 91.3%, a 4.0-point lead.

MOT reliability, side by side

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

Metric	Triumph Tiger 800 Abs	Honda CRF1000L Africa Twin
First-time pass rate	91.3%	95.3%
Outright fail rate	4.7%	2.6%
Vs comparable bikes (age & mileage adjusted)	+6.4 pts	+8.2 pts
Engine size	800cc	998cc
Rank among all models	#619 of 5428	#54 of 5428
Median miles at test	17,970	10,908
MOT tests analysed	3,727	21,673
Most common failure	brakes	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	Triumph Tiger 800 Abs	Honda CRF1000L Africa Twin
Brakes	1.9%	1.0%
Steering & suspension	1.3%	0.9%
Tyres & wheels	1.0%	0.7%
Lights & signalling	1.1%	0.2%
Structure & body	0.6%	0.4%
Drive system	0.4%	0%

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	Triumph Tiger 800 Abs	Honda CRF1000L Africa Twin
2019	90.8%	94.2%
2020	89.9%	96.2%
2021	91.7%	95.5%
2022	92.2%	95.6%
2023	89.0%	95.5%
2024	90.5%	94.6%
2025	89.3%	94.5%

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	Triumph Tiger 800 Abs	Honda CRF1000L Africa Twin
0k-10k miles	94.9%	97.0%
10k-20k miles	91.9%	94.8%
20k-30k miles	90.9%	92.4%
30k-40k miles	88.4%	89.6%
40k-50k miles	79.1%	88.6%
50k-60k miles	83.6%	90.8%

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

Triumph Tiger 800 Abs vs Honda CRF1000L Africa Twin FAQ

answers computed from the data above · terms in the glossary

Which is more reliable, the Triumph Tiger 800 Abs or the Honda CRF1000L Africa Twin?

The Honda CRF1000L Africa Twin passes its MOT first time more often than the Triumph Tiger 800 Abs: 95.3% vs 91.3%, a 4.0-point lead. Adjusted for age, mileage and test class, the Honda CRF1000L Africa Twin still comes out ahead: +6.4 points vs comparable bikes for the Triumph Tiger 800 Abs, +8.2 for the Honda CRF1000L Africa Twin. An MOT checks roadworthiness items, not engine or gearbox internals.

What does the Triumph Tiger 800 Abs fail its MOT on most?

Brakes: 1.9% of Triumph Tiger 800 Abs MOT tests failed on it, then steering & suspension (1.3%).

What does the Honda CRF1000L Africa Twin fail its MOT on most?

Brakes: 1.0% of Honda CRF1000L Africa Twin MOT tests failed on it, then steering & suspension (0.9%).

Which holds up better at high mileage, the Triumph Tiger 800 Abs or the Honda CRF1000L Africa Twin?

At 50k-60k miles the Honda CRF1000L Africa Twin passes first time more often: 83.6% for the Triumph Tiger 800 Abs vs 90.8% for the Honda CRF1000L Africa Twin.

TRIUMPH TIGER 800 ABS 91.3% pass · 3,727 tests HONDA CRF1000L Africa Twin 95.3% pass · 21.7k tests

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