Bsa Bantam MOT Pass Rate
Overall pass rate across all manufacture years, based on 4,169 real MOT test results. Failure rate: 10.6%.
Data from official DVSA MOT testing records
Bsa Bantam MOT Reliability Overview
The Bsa Bantam is a niche vehicle in the UK, with 4,169 MOT test results recorded in our database spanning 12 manufacture years. It has an overall MOT pass rate of 89.4% and a failure rate of 10.6%, which is well above the UK average of approximately 37%.
Based on this data, the Bsa Bantam earns a "Excellent" reliability rating. The average Bsa Bantam presents for MOT with approximately 15,731 miles on the clock. Manufacture year matters: 1963 models achieve the highest pass rate at 93.9%, while 1966 models have the lowest at 86.6%. This 7.3 percentage point difference suggests notable variation in build quality or component durability across production years.
The most common MOT failure for the Bsa Bantam is Motorcycle lighting and signalling, affecting 6.3% of all tests. Motorcycle lighting and signalling issues are a common cause of MOT failure. Regular inspection and maintenance of these components helps ensure your vehicle passes its MOT. The second most common issue is Motorcycle steering and suspension at 4.2%. Motorcycle tyres and wheels rounds out the top three at 2.7%. Together, these top 3 failure categories account for a significant portion of all MOT failures for this model.
Top failures across all manufacture years combined. Individual year pages may show different top failures.
What Fails Most
Best Year to Buy
📈 How Each Vintage Ages
Pass Rate by Manufacture Year
* High Fail Rate badge indicates an MOT pass rate below 65% (failure rate above 35%).
What Fails on This Car?
Click a category to see specific failure items.
View as table
| Rank | Failure Category | Rate (%) | Count |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Motorcycle Lighting And Signalling | 7.5% | 312 |
| 2 | Motorcycle Steering And Suspension | 4.9% | 206 |
| 3 | Motorcycle Tyres And Wheels | 3.1% | 129 |
| 4 | Motorcycle Brakes | 2.8% | 116 |
| 5 | Motorcycle Drive System | 1.2% | 50 |
| 6 | Motorcycle Body And Structure | 0.9% | 37 |
| 7 | Motorcycle Fuel And Exhaust | 0.8% | 34 |
| 8 | Motorcycle Reg Plates And Vin | 0.4% | 16 |
| 9 | Motorcycle Driving Controls | 0.3% | 12 |
| 10 | Motorcycle Structure And Attachments | 0.2% | 9 |
| 11 | Items Not Tested | 0.2% | 8 |
| 12 | Motorcycle Steering | 0.2% | 7 |
| 13 | Motorcycle Lamps And Reflectors | 0.1% | 6 |
| 14 | Motorcycle Suspension | 0.1% | 3 |
| 15 | Motorcycle Sidecar | 0.1% | 3 |
Failures per 10,000 Miles
avg. 15,731 miFor every 10,000 miles driven, this shows what percentage of MOT tests fail for each category. This accounts for how far cars are actually driven, not just raw pass/fail counts.
View as table
| Category | Rate / 10K mi | Raw % | Count |
|---|---|---|---|
| Motorcycle lighting and signalling | 4.76 | 7.5% | 312 |
| Motorcycle steering and suspension | 3.14 | 4.9% | 206 |
| Motorcycle tyres and wheels | 1.97 | 3.1% | 129 |
| Motorcycle brakes | 1.77 | 2.8% | 116 |
| Motorcycle drive system | 0.76 | 1.2% | 50 |
| Motorcycle body and structure | 0.56 | 0.9% | 37 |
| Motorcycle fuel and exhaust | 0.52 | 0.8% | 34 |
| Motorcycle reg plates and vin | 0.24 | 0.4% | 16 |
| Motorcycle driving controls | 0.18 | 0.3% | 12 |
| Motorcycle structure and attachments | 0.14 | 0.2% | 9 |
| Items Not Tested | 0.12 | 0.2% | 8 |
| Motorcycle steering | 0.11 | 0.2% | 7 |
| Motorcycle lamps and reflectors | 0.09 | 0.1% | 6 |
| Motorcycle suspension | 0.05 | 0.1% | 3 |
| Motorcycle sidecar | 0.05 | 0.1% | 3 |
🚗 Similar Cars to Consider
Mileage at MOT
The average Bsa Bantam has 15,731 miles when tested for MOT.
📊 Mileage-Adjusted Failure Rate
How often this car fails MOT relative to how much it's driven — a fairer comparison than raw pass rate.
The Bsa Bantam has a mileage-adjusted failure rate of 6.74% per 10,000 miles driven. The average across all makes is 5.38%, so this model is worse than average.
About Bsa Bantam MOT Data
The Bsa Bantam is a niche vehicle in the UK, with 4,169 MOT test results recorded in our database spanning 12 manufacture years. It has an overall MOT pass rate of 89.4% and a failure rate of 10.6%, which is well above the UK average of approximately 37%.
For Bsa Bantam owners, these results suggest a reliable vehicle that generally passes its MOT without major issues. Focus your pre-MOT checks on motorcycle lighting and signalling and motorcycle steering and suspension for the best chance of a first-time pass. Use our detailed year-by-year breakdown and failure analysis below to understand how your specific Bantam is likely to perform.
Motorcycle lighting and signalling — 6.3% of failures
Motorcycle lighting and signalling issues account for 6.3% of MOT failures on the Bsa Bantam. Motorcycle lighting and signalling issues are a common cause of MOT failure. Regular inspection and maintenance of these components helps ensure your vehicle passes its MOT. Typical repair costs: £100–400. Pre-MOT check: Have this system checked during regular servicing. Look for warning signs like unusual noises, vibrations, or dashboard warning lights.
Motorcycle steering and suspension — 4.2% of failures
Motorcycle steering and suspension issues account for 4.2% of MOT failures on the Bsa Bantam. Suspension failures typically involve worn bushes, leaking shock absorbers, broken coil springs, and damaged suspension arms. These affect ride quality, tyre wear, and road holding. Typical repair costs: £200–500. Pre-MOT check: Look for uneven tyre wear, listen for clunking over bumps, and check if the car pulls to one side. A bouncy ride suggests worn shock absorbers. Visually inspect coil springs for cracks.
Motorcycle tyres and wheels — 2.7% of failures
Motorcycle tyres and wheels issues account for 2.7% of MOT failures on the Bsa Bantam. Tyre failures include tread depth below the legal minimum of 1.6mm, cuts, bulges, exposed cords, and incorrect tyre pressure. Tyres are one of the most common and easiest-to-prevent MOT failures. Typical repair costs: £50–200 per tyre. Pre-MOT check: Check tread depth with a 20p coin — if the outer band is visible, the tyre is too worn. Look for bulges, cuts, or embedded objects. Ensure all tyres match the recommended size and load rating.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the MOT pass rate for the Bsa Bantam?
Based on 4,169 MOT tests in our database, the Bsa Bantam has an overall pass rate of 89.4% (10.6% fail rate).
What are the most common MOT failures on a Bsa Bantam?
The top 3 reasons a Bsa Bantam fails its MOT are: 1. Motorcycle lighting and signalling (6.3%), 2. Motorcycle steering and suspension (4.2%), 3. Motorcycle tyres and wheels (2.7%). Check these areas before booking your MOT.
Is the Bsa Bantam reliable?
With a 10.6% MOT failure rate, the Bantam is more reliable than average compared to the UK average of ~40%.
What should I check before an MOT on my Bsa Bantam?
Based on failure data, focus on: Motorcycle lighting and signalling (6.3%); Motorcycle steering and suspension (4.2%); Motorcycle tyres and wheels (2.7%). These are the areas most likely to cause a fail. Also check all lights, tyres (minimum 1.6mm tread), and windscreen condition — these are quick wins that apply to all cars.
Based on DVSA anonymised MOT test data (2005–2024). Crown copyright, Open Government Licence v3.0.