BSA B33
Real ownership data from 272 UK B33 motorcycles — mileage, MOT pass rates and the faults that actually come up, taken from DVSA test records rather than opinion.
Most common B33 problems
Ranked by how often each fault appears in this model's MOT history.
| Fault | Severity | Share of faults |
|---|---|---|
| Brakes | fail | 11.4% |
| Lights and indicators | major | 9.8% |
| Other | fail | 5% |
| Tyres | fail | 3.8% |
| Suspension | major | 3.3% |
| Fluid leaks | fail | 3.1% |
| Wheels | fail | 2.6% |
| Steering and head bearings | fail | 2.1% |
Advisories (wear noted but not failed) are excluded above; the most common is suspension.
B33 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 5 | 1,314 mi | 804 | 100% |
| 1999 | 5 | 22,456 mi | 1,112 | 94.74% |
| 1960 | 12 | 18,970 mi | 574 | 98.46% |
| 1959 | 23 | 20,354 mi | 228 | 92.86% |
| 1958 | 19 | 10,713 mi | 327 | 88.31% |
| 1957 | 8 | 25,371 mi | 212 | 100% |
| 1956 | 15 | 10,949 mi | 298 | 91.3% |
| 1955 | 24 | 30,735 mi | 129 | 95.4% |
| 1954 | 23 | 8,625 mi | 128 | 93.02% |
| 1953 | 13 | 21,619 mi | 98 | 90% |
| 1952 | 5 | 436 mi | 207 | 100% |
| 1950 | 9 | 9,500 mi | 76 | 100% |
| 1949 | 10 | 4,434 mi | 106 | 91.67% |
| 1948 | 7 | 26,298 mi | 131 | 73.33% |
| 1947 | 6 | 8,321 mi | 228 | 91.67% |
B33 questions, answered with data
What are the most common problems with the BSA B33?
Across 272 UK examples, the most frequently recorded MOT faults are brakes (11.4% of all recorded faults), lights and indicators (9.8% of all recorded faults), other (5% of all recorded faults).
What is average mileage for a BSA B33?
The median BSA B33 in the UK has covered 13,629 miles, and typically rides about 230 miles a year. Half of all examples fall between 2,710 and 37,129 miles.
Is the BSA B33 reliable?
92.06% of BSA B33 MOT tests are passed first time, with an average of 0.35 faults recorded per test. This is measured from DVSA MOT records, not owner opinion.
Based on DVSA MOT test records for 272 BSA B33 motorcycles registered in Great Britain and Northern Ireland. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.