BSA B50
Real ownership data from 65 UK B50 motorcycles — mileage, MOT pass rates and the faults that actually come up, taken from DVSA test records rather than opinion.
Most common B50 problems
Ranked by how often each fault appears in this model's MOT history.
| Fault | Severity | Share of faults |
|---|---|---|
| Other | user entered | 9.5% |
| Lights and indicators | fail | 7.6% |
| Brakes | fail | 3.8% |
| Suspension | fail | 2.9% |
| Chain and sprockets | user entered | 2.4% |
| Steering and head bearings | fail | 1.9% |
| Fluid leaks | fail | 1.9% |
| Tyres | user entered | 1.9% |
Advisories (wear noted but not failed) are excluded above; the most common is suspension.
B50 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | 6 | 4,490 mi | 394 | 84% |
| 2007 | 5 | 7,624 mi | 720 | 88.24% |
| 1971 | 16 | 4,917 mi | 86 | 90.91% |
B50 questions, answered with data
What are the most common problems with the BSA B50?
Across 65 UK examples, the most frequently recorded MOT faults are other (9.5% of all recorded faults), lights and indicators (7.6% of all recorded faults), brakes (3.8% of all recorded faults).
What is average mileage for a BSA B50?
The median BSA B50 in the UK has covered 5,503 miles, and typically rides about 210 miles a year. Half of all examples fall between 2,514 and 13,565 miles.
Is the BSA B50 reliable?
90.49% of BSA B50 MOT tests are passed first time, with an average of 0.69 faults recorded per test. This is measured from DVSA MOT records, not owner opinion.
Based on DVSA MOT test records for 65 BSA B50 motorcycles registered in Great Britain and Northern Ireland. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.