BIKERELIABILITY Reg check
League table/ Victory Vegas/vs Yamaha XJR1300
Head-to-head · 2005–2025

Data as of: DVSA MOT results to 2025

Victory Vegas vs Yamaha XJR1300

The Victory Vegas passes its MOT first time more often than the Yamaha XJR1300: 90.5% vs 87.4%, a 3.1-point lead.

MOT reliability, side by side

first-time pass rate, outright fail rate and tests analysed · 2005–2025
Metric Victory Vegas Yamaha XJR1300
First-time pass rate 90.5% 87.4%
Outright fail rate 4.4% 5.6%
Vs comparable bikes (age & mileage adjusted) +4.0 pts +2.8 pts
Engine size 1,634cc 1,250cc
Rank among all models #800 of 5428 #1787 of 5428
Median miles at test 10,658 16,186
MOT tests analysed 2,675 95,093
Most common failure lamps and reflectors 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 Victory Vegas Yamaha XJR1300
Lights & signalling 1.6% 2.1%
Brakes 0.9% 1.8%
Tyres & wheels 1.0% 1.7%
Steering & suspension 0.6% 1.0%
Fuel & exhaust 0.3% 0.4%
Structure & body 0.3% 0.4%
Drive system 0% 0.3%

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 Victory Vegas Yamaha XJR1300
2018 91.6% 87.3%
2019 86.9% 87.7%
2020 89.4% 89.1%
2021 88.3% 88.3%
2022 91.2% 89.1%
2023 94.0% 89.6%
2024 92.4% 90.1%
2025 89.0% 90.5%

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 Victory Vegas Yamaha XJR1300
0k-10k miles 92.8% 90.8%
10k-20k miles 89.5% 87.9%
20k-30k miles 88.4% 85.5%
30k-40k miles 81.0% 84.4%
40k-50k miles 86.7% 82.1%

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

Victory Vegas vs Yamaha XJR1300 FAQ

answers computed from the data above · terms in the glossary

Which is more reliable, the Victory Vegas or the Yamaha XJR1300?

The Victory Vegas passes its MOT first time more often than the Yamaha XJR1300: 90.5% vs 87.4%, a 3.1-point lead. Adjusted for age, mileage and test class, the Victory Vegas still comes out ahead: +4.0 points vs comparable bikes for the Victory Vegas, +2.8 for the Yamaha XJR1300. An MOT checks roadworthiness items, not engine or gearbox internals.

What does the Victory Vegas fail its MOT on most?

Lights & signalling: 1.6% of Victory Vegas MOT tests failed on it, then tyres & wheels (1.0%).

What does the Yamaha XJR1300 fail its MOT on most?

Lights & signalling: 2.1% of Yamaha XJR1300 MOT tests failed on it, then brakes (1.8%).

Which holds up better at high mileage, the Victory Vegas or the Yamaha XJR1300?

At 40k-50k miles the Victory Vegas passes first time more often: 86.7% for the Victory Vegas vs 82.1% for the Yamaha XJR1300.

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