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1981 Yamaha Xj550 — MOT History by Age

How cars manufactured in 1981 perform at MOT as they age

45 years
Current Age
87.5%
Latest Pass Rate
311
Total Tests (All Years)
35,801 mi
Avg Mileage (Latest)

Data from official DVSA MOT testing records

Best vintage for Xj550

Insufficient data for same-age comparison.

How This Car Ages

Pass rate progression for the 1981 Yamaha Xj550 as it ages.

28 yrs75.0%
29 yrs79.6%
30 yrs68.6%
31 yrs72.5%
32 yrs78.0%
33 yrs69.0%
34 yrs87.5%

Bar chart showing pass rate by car age from 28 to 34 years

Fail Rate %
📊 View as table
AgePass RateTests
28 yrs75.0%56
29 yrs79.6%49
30 yrs68.6%51
31 yrs72.5%40
32 yrs78.0%41
33 yrs69.0%42
34 yrs87.5%32

Pass Rate Trend

How the 1981 Yamaha Xj550 pass rate changes as it ages, from first MOT to most recent.

Trend shows improving over 7 years

Pass Rate %
📊 View as table
BuiltPass RateTests
2015 (34 yrs)87.5%32
2014 (33 yrs)69%42
2013 (32 yrs)78%41
2012 (31 yrs)72.5%40
2011 (30 yrs)68.6%51
2010 (29 yrs)79.6%49
2009 (28 yrs)75%56

Year-by-Year MOT Results

2009
75.0%
Age (yrs) 28Tests 56Avg Mileage 38,094Top Failure Motorcycle steering and suspension — 16.1%
2010
79.6%
Age (yrs) 29Tests 49Avg Mileage 35,644Top Failure Motorcycle brakes — 14.3%
2011
68.6%
Age (yrs) 30Tests 51Avg Mileage 36,283Top Failure Motorcycle lighting and signalling — 17.6%
2012
72.5%
Age (yrs) 31Tests 40Avg Mileage 34,516Top Failure Motorcycle lighting and signalling — 15.0%
2013
78.0%
Age (yrs) 32Tests 41Avg Mileage 37,415Top Failure Motorcycle lighting and signalling — 24.4%
2014
69.0%
Age (yrs) 33Tests 42Avg Mileage 38,753Top Failure Motorcycle steering and suspension — 31.0%
2015
87.5%
Age (yrs) 34Tests 32Avg Mileage 35,801Top Failure Motorcycle brakes — 21.9%

Common MOT Failures

Top failure categories across all test years for 1981 Yamaha Xj550, with age trends.

Motorcycle lighting and signalling
16.7%
↑ Increases with age
Motorcycle steering and suspension
16.4%
↓ Decreases with age
Motorcycle brakes
13.5%
↑ Increases with age
Motorcycle tyres and wheels
8.2%
↑ Increases with age
Motorcycle body and structure
5.6%
— Consistent

How Failures Change With Age

Comparing failure rates between the youngest and oldest test years.

CategoryAt YoungestAt OldestChangeTrend
Motorcycle brakes10.7% (28 yrs)21.9% (34 yrs)
+11.2%
🔴 ↑
Motorcycle steering and suspension16.1% (28 yrs)12.5% (34 yrs)
-3.6%
🟢 ↓
Motorcycle lighting and signalling12.5% (28 yrs)15.6% (34 yrs)
+3.1%
🔴 ↑

Other Manufacture Years

Looking for the best year to buy? See the full comparison on the Yamaha Xj550 page →

About This Data

This page shows how Yamaha Xj550 cars manufactured in 1981 perform at MOT as they age. Data spans from 2009 to 2015, covering 311 tests. Pass rates naturally decline with age as components wear.

Based on DVSA anonymised MOT test data (2005–2024). Crown copyright, Open Government Licence v3.0.

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