The UK's Most Common Motorbike MOT Failures

What are the most common reasons for MOT failures in the UK?

The annual MOT can seem like a bit of a chore, and the last thing you want is to fail for something simple and straightforward.

Thankfully, just 16.9% of bikes fail their initial test, compared to 33.6% for cars and other passenger vehicles and 42.2% for goods vehicles.

However, it turns out that some of the reasons for those bikes that DO fail are actually very easy to fix, with almost half of those initial failures being fixed on the spot.

The Most Common Reasons for Motorbike MOT Failures

The number one reason for bikes failing their MOT is by far the lamps and reflectors, which account for 40.21% of all failures and are often caused by very simple faults like a blown bulb or cracked lenses, both of which are very easy to spot.

The second most common reason for failure was the brakes (16.83%), which can be much more serious than lighting, followed by issues with the structure and attachments (10.77%).

The Most Common 'Dangerous' Defects

While lamps and reflectors are the most likely reason for your bike to fail its MOT, it’s the tyres which are by far the most likely to be deemed a ‘dangerous’ defect.

4.71% of bikes fail due to a ‘dangerous’ defect, and almost half of these are to do with the tyres, so it’s extra important that you keep on top of these.

Be sure to replace your tyres if they’re worn or displaying any bulges, cuts or lumps and regularly check that the tyre tread is at least 1mm deep, as a blow-out while you're on the roads could have fatal consequences.

Motorbike MOT Pass Rates

Looking back over the last five years, we see that the number of bikes failing their MOT has steadily dropped, from 11.9% in 2013/14 to 9.9% today.

That’s only an average decline of 0.4% each year, but it’s still good to see that the fail rate is falling, especially as stricter rules were put in place for MOTs in 2018.

Sources

MOT testing data for Great Britain from GOV.UK

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The UK's Most Common Motorbike MOT Failures

The Most Common Reasons for Motorbike MOT Failures

The Most Common 'Dangerous' Defects

Motorbike MOT Pass Rates

Sources

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