BSA SPITFIRE
Real ownership data from 65 UK SPITFIRE motorcycles — mileage, MOT pass rates and the faults that actually come up, taken from DVSA test records rather than opinion.
Most common SPITFIRE problems
Ranked by how often each fault appears in this model's MOT history.
| Fault | Severity | Share of faults |
|---|---|---|
| Other | fail | 11.4% |
| Lights and indicators | fail | 10.4% |
| Brakes | fail | 5.5% |
| Chain and sprockets | fail | 4.5% |
| Wheels | fail | 3.5% |
| Tyres | user entered | 2.5% |
| Exhaust and emissions | fail | 2% |
| Electrical | fail | 1.5% |
Advisories (wear noted but not failed) are excluded above; the most common is suspension.
SPITFIRE 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1968 | 7 | 2,823 mi | 181 | 96.88% |
| 1967 | 14 | 6,411 mi | 110 | 94.62% |
| 1966 | 10 | 3,810 mi | 330 | 97.3% |
SPITFIRE questions, answered with data
What are the most common problems with the BSA SPITFIRE?
Across 65 UK examples, the most frequently recorded MOT faults are other (11.4% of all recorded faults), lights and indicators (10.4% of all recorded faults), brakes (5.5% of all recorded faults).
What is average mileage for a BSA SPITFIRE?
The median BSA SPITFIRE in the UK has covered 3,637 miles, and typically rides about 222 miles a year. Half of all examples fall between 944 and 12,369 miles.
Is the BSA SPITFIRE reliable?
89.7% of BSA SPITFIRE MOT tests are passed first time, with an average of 0.57 faults recorded per test. This is measured from DVSA MOT records, not owner opinion.
Based on DVSA MOT test records for 65 BSA SPITFIRE motorcycles registered in Great Britain and Northern Ireland. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.