Triumph Tiger 900 GT LRH vs Honda CRF1000L Africa Twin

The Triumph Tiger 900 GT LRH passes its MOT first time more often than the Honda CRF1000L Africa Twin: 95.8% vs 95.3%, a 0.5-point lead.

MOT reliability, side by side

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

Metric	Triumph Tiger 900 GT LRH	Honda CRF1000L Africa Twin
First-time pass rate	95.8%	95.3%
Outright fail rate	2.5%	2.6%
Vs comparable bikes (age & mileage adjusted)	+7.8 pts	+8.2 pts
Engine size	888cc	998cc
Rank among all models	#32 of 5428	#54 of 5428
Median miles at test	8,946	10,908
MOT tests analysed	597	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 900 GT LRH	Honda CRF1000L Africa Twin
Brakes	1.5%	1.0%
Steering & suspension	0.3%	0.9%
Lights & signalling	0.7%	0.2%
Structure & body	0.5%	0.4%
Tyres & wheels	0%	0.7%

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 900 GT LRH	Honda CRF1000L Africa Twin
2023	95.5%	95.5%
2024	93.9%	94.6%
2025	97.2%	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 900 GT LRH	Honda CRF1000L Africa Twin
0k-10k miles	96.5%	97.0%
10k-20k miles	95.2%	94.8%
20k-30k miles	92.3%	92.4%

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

Triumph Tiger 900 GT LRH vs Honda CRF1000L Africa Twin FAQ

answers computed from the data above · terms in the glossary

Which is more reliable, the Triumph Tiger 900 GT LRH or the Honda CRF1000L Africa Twin?

The Triumph Tiger 900 GT LRH passes its MOT first time more often than the Honda CRF1000L Africa Twin: 95.8% vs 95.3%, a 0.5-point lead. Adjusted for age, mileage and test class the two are level (+7.8 vs +8.2 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 Triumph Tiger 900 GT LRH fail its MOT on most?

Brakes: 1.5% of Triumph Tiger 900 GT LRH MOT tests failed on it, then lights & signalling (0.7%).

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 900 GT LRH or the Honda CRF1000L Africa Twin?

They are level: at 20k-30k miles the Triumph Tiger 900 GT LRH passes 92.3% first time and the Honda CRF1000L Africa Twin 92.4%.

TRIUMPH TIGER 900 GT LRH 95.8% pass · 597 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.