BSA B 50
Real ownership data from 65 UK B 50 motorcycles — mileage, MOT pass rates and the faults that actually come up, taken from DVSA test records rather than opinion.
Most common B 50 problems
Ranked by how often each fault appears in this model's MOT history.
| Fault | Severity | Share of faults |
|---|---|---|
| Other | user entered | 13% |
| Brakes | fail | 5.2% |
| Suspension | fail | 3.9% |
| Lights and indicators | fail | 3.3% |
| Steering and head bearings | fail | 2.6% |
| Fluid leaks | fail | 2.6% |
| Tyres | user entered | 2.6% |
| Controls and cables | prs | 2% |
Advisories (wear noted but not failed) are excluded above; the most common is suspension.
B 50 mileage and reliability by year
Use this to judge whether a specific bike is high or low mileage for its age.
| YearYear | MedianMedian mileage | Mi/yrMiles/year | MOT passFirst-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% |
B 50 questions, answered with data
What are the most common problems with the BSA B 50?
Across 65 UK examples, the most frequently recorded MOT faults are other (13% of all recorded faults), brakes (5.2% of all recorded faults), suspension (3.9% of all recorded faults).
What is average mileage for a BSA B 50?
The median BSA B 50 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 B 50 reliable?
90.49% of BSA B 50 MOT tests are passed first time, with an average of 0.5 faults recorded per test. This is measured from DVSA MOT records, not owner opinion.
Based on DVSA MOT test records for 65 BSA B 50 motorcycles registered in Great Britain and Northern Ireland. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.