BSA 500
Real ownership data from 76 UK 500 motorcycles — mileage, MOT pass rates and the faults that actually come up, taken from DVSA test records rather than opinion.
Most common 500 problems
Ranked by how often each fault appears in this model's MOT history.
| Fault | Severity | Share of faults |
|---|---|---|
| Other | fail | 8.1% |
| Brakes | fail | 7.5% |
| Lights and indicators | fail | 5.6% |
| Tyres | fail | 4.4% |
| Suspension | fail | 3.1% |
| Fluid leaks | user entered | 2.5% |
| Steering and head bearings | fail | 1.9% |
| Exhaust and emissions | fail | 1.9% |
Advisories (wear noted but not failed) are excluded above; the most common is suspension.
500 mileage and reliability by year
Use this to judge whether a specific bike is high or low mileage for its age.
| Year | Examples | Median mileage | Miles/year | First-time pass |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1954 | 5 | 3,871 mi | 234 | 100% |
500 questions, answered with data
What are the most common problems with the BSA 500?
Across 76 UK examples, the most frequently recorded MOT faults are other (8.1% of all recorded faults), brakes (7.5% of all recorded faults), lights and indicators (5.6% of all recorded faults).
What is average mileage for a BSA 500?
The median BSA 500 in the UK has covered 9,820 miles, and typically rides about 142 miles a year. Half of all examples fall between 3,168 and 37,178 miles.
Is the BSA 500 reliable?
95.38% of BSA 500 MOT tests are passed first time, with an average of 0.48 faults recorded per test. This is measured from DVSA MOT records, not owner opinion.
Based on DVSA MOT test records for 76 BSA 500 motorcycles registered in Great Britain and Northern Ireland. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.