Norton 99
Real ownership data from 151 UK 99 motorcycles — mileage, MOT pass rates and the faults that actually come up, taken from DVSA test records rather than opinion.
Most common 99 problems
Ranked by how often each fault appears in this model's MOT history.
| Fault | Severity | Share of faults |
|---|---|---|
| Lights and indicators | fail | 9.8% |
| Brakes | fail | 9.4% |
| Other | user entered | 5.8% |
| Fluid leaks | user entered | 4.9% |
| Suspension | fail | 3.1% |
| Electrical | fail | 2.7% |
| Tyres | dangerous | 2.7% |
| Steering and head bearings | fail | 2.2% |
Advisories (wear noted but not failed) are excluded above; the most common is brakes.
99 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1962 | 6 | 34,284 mi | 215 | 89.66% |
| 1961 | 10 | 42,357 mi | 350 | 97.22% |
| 1960 | 20 | 11,000 mi | 308 | 95.78% |
| 1959 | 28 | 15,854 mi | 519 | 91.3% |
| 1958 | 15 | 20,944 mi | 355 | 93.18% |
| 1957 | 11 | 11,246 mi | 67 | 84.78% |
| 1956 | 9 | 8,312 mi | 326 | 87.5% |
99 questions, answered with data
What are the most common problems with the Norton 99?
Across 151 UK examples, the most frequently recorded MOT faults are lights and indicators (9.8% of all recorded faults), brakes (9.4% of all recorded faults), other (5.8% of all recorded faults).
What is average mileage for a Norton 99?
The median Norton 99 in the UK has covered 10,343 miles, and typically rides about 235 miles a year. Half of all examples fall between 3,134 and 34,288 miles.
Is the Norton 99 reliable?
93.52% of Norton 99 MOT tests are passed first time, with an average of 0.27 faults recorded per test. This is measured from DVSA MOT records, not owner opinion.
Based on DVSA MOT test records for 151 Norton 99 motorcycles registered in Great Britain and Northern Ireland. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.