BSA B40
Real ownership data from 703 UK B40 motorcycles — mileage, MOT pass rates and the faults that actually come up, taken from DVSA test records rather than opinion.
Most common B40 problems
Ranked by how often each fault appears in this model's MOT history.
| Fault | Severity | Share of faults |
|---|---|---|
| Other | fail | 12.7% |
| Lights and indicators | fail | 8% |
| Brakes | fail | 6.4% |
| Tyres | fail | 5.2% |
| Steering and head bearings | fail | 3.8% |
| Fluid leaks | fail | 2.7% |
| Suspension | fail | 2.5% |
| Electrical | fail | 2% |
Advisories (wear noted but not failed) are excluded above; the most common is suspension.
B40 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | 5 | 4,785 mi | — | 80% |
| 2017 | 7 | 1,552 mi | — | 85.71% |
| 2015 | 5 | 1,913 mi | 78 | 100% |
| 2013 | 5 | 2,418 mi | 4 | 90.91% |
| 2008 | 5 | 399 mi | 44 | 89.66% |
| 2007 | 6 | 4,489 mi | 44 | 86.11% |
| 2005 | 6 | 3,784 mi | 80 | 91.67% |
| 2003 | 5 | 5,554 mi | 430 | 94.12% |
| 2002 | 7 | 13,365 mi | 292 | 87.18% |
| 2001 | 13 | 9,080 mi | 97 | 90.16% |
| 2000 | 7 | 9,696 mi | 440 | 95.56% |
| 1999 | 7 | 7,678 mi | 55 | 92.11% |
| 1998 | 7 | 1,691 mi | 222 | 97.56% |
| 1997 | 10 | 2,285 mi | 17 | 97.83% |
| 1996 | 6 | 8,593 mi | 562 | 78.95% |
| 1994 | 6 | 19,678 mi | 124 | 100% |
| 1991 | 8 | 12,652 mi | 148 | 85.71% |
| 1990 | 10 | 8,956 mi | 61 | 92.68% |
| 1988 | 5 | 5,411 mi | 200 | 93.94% |
| 1987 | 6 | 1,641 mi | 18 | 84.85% |
B40 questions, answered with data
What are the most common problems with the BSA B40?
Across 703 UK examples, the most frequently recorded MOT faults are other (12.7% of all recorded faults), lights and indicators (8% of all recorded faults), brakes (6.4% of all recorded faults).
What is average mileage for a BSA B40?
The median BSA B40 in the UK has covered 7,678 miles, and typically rides about 122 miles a year. Half of all examples fall between 1,714 and 20,962 miles.
Is the BSA B40 reliable?
91.21% of BSA B40 MOT tests are passed first time, with an average of 0.47 faults recorded per test. This is measured from DVSA MOT records, not owner opinion.
Based on DVSA MOT test records for 703 BSA B40 motorcycles registered in Great Britain and Northern Ireland. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.