BSA Lightning
Real ownership data from 285 UK Lightning motorcycles — mileage, MOT pass rates and the faults that actually come up, taken from DVSA test records rather than opinion.
Most common Lightning problems
Ranked by how often each fault appears in this model's MOT history.
| Fault | Severity | Share of faults |
|---|---|---|
| Lights and indicators | fail | 15.7% |
| Brakes | fail | 7.9% |
| Other | fail | 4.2% |
| Suspension | fail | 3.8% |
| Steering and head bearings | fail | 3.8% |
| Tyres | fail | 2.7% |
| Fluid leaks | fail | 2.1% |
| Chain and sprockets | fail | 1.7% |
Advisories (wear noted but not failed) are excluded above; the most common is suspension.
Lightning 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 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | 6 | 8,979 mi | — | 100% |
| 2016 | 11 | 4,435 mi | 44 | 93.75% |
| 2015 | 11 | 1,883 mi | 283 | 94.74% |
| 1992 | 6 | 8,703 mi | 48 | 97.06% |
| 1990 | 6 | 13,330 mi | 113 | 92.59% |
| 1973 | 16 | 17,568 mi | 153 | 80% |
| 1972 | 28 | 18,251 mi | 308 | 94.41% |
| 1971 | 24 | 8,201 mi | 153 | 90.52% |
| 1970 | 16 | 12,198 mi | 173 | 95.05% |
| 1969 | 21 | 4,209 mi | 112 | 87.6% |
| 1968 | 18 | 5,941 mi | 216 | 89.62% |
| 1967 | 13 | 12,012 mi | 195 | 89.01% |
| 1966 | 18 | 4,521 mi | 84 | 92.45% |
| 1965 | 21 | 3,880 mi | 247 | 92.73% |
| 1964 | 7 | 21,652 mi | 533 | 100% |
Lightning questions, answered with data
What are the most common problems with the BSA Lightning?
Across 285 UK examples, the most frequently recorded MOT faults are lights and indicators (15.7% of all recorded faults), brakes (7.9% of all recorded faults), other (4.2% of all recorded faults).
What is average mileage for a BSA Lightning?
The median BSA Lightning in the UK has covered 8,888 miles, and typically rides about 159 miles a year. Half of all examples fall between 2,679 and 18,734 miles.
Is the BSA Lightning reliable?
91.88% of BSA Lightning MOT tests are passed first time, with an average of 0.34 faults recorded per test. This is measured from DVSA MOT records, not owner opinion.
Based on DVSA MOT test records for 285 BSA Lightning motorcycles registered in Great Britain and Northern Ireland. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.