BSA C12
Real ownership data from 159 UK C12 motorcycles — mileage, MOT pass rates and the faults that actually come up, taken from DVSA test records rather than opinion.
Most common C12 problems
Ranked by how often each fault appears in this model's MOT history.
| Fault | Severity | Share of faults |
|---|---|---|
| Brakes | fail | 7.1% |
| Suspension | fail | 6.7% |
| Lights and indicators | fail | 6.7% |
| Other | fail | 5.6% |
| Wheels | fail | 4.1% |
| Tyres | fail | 4.1% |
| Controls and cables | fail | 3.7% |
| Fluid leaks | user entered | 3% |
Advisories (wear noted but not failed) are excluded above; the most common is suspension.
C12 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1958 | 44 | 16,644 mi | 80 | 89.93% |
| 1957 | 35 | 13,324 mi | 133 | 86.61% |
| 1956 | 34 | 10,104 mi | 118 | 94.34% |
C12 questions, answered with data
What are the most common problems with the BSA C12?
Across 159 UK examples, the most frequently recorded MOT faults are brakes (7.1% of all recorded faults), suspension (6.7% of all recorded faults), lights and indicators (6.7% of all recorded faults).
What is average mileage for a BSA C12?
The median BSA C12 in the UK has covered 11,090 miles, and typically rides about 108 miles a year. Half of all examples fall between 1,790 and 31,697 miles.
Is the BSA C12 reliable?
92.55% of BSA C12 MOT tests are passed first time, with an average of 0.46 faults recorded per test. This is measured from DVSA MOT records, not owner opinion.
Based on DVSA MOT test records for 159 BSA C12 motorcycles registered in Great Britain and Northern Ireland. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.