Norton ES2
Real ownership data from 516 UK ES2 motorcycles — mileage, MOT pass rates and the faults that actually come up, taken from DVSA test records rather than opinion.
Most common ES2 problems
Ranked by how often each fault appears in this model's MOT history.
| Fault | Severity | Share of faults |
|---|---|---|
| Lights and indicators | fail | 12.5% |
| Other | fail | 8.8% |
| Brakes | fail | 8.1% |
| Tyres | fail | 5.7% |
| Fluid leaks | user entered | 3.2% |
| Steering and head bearings | fail | 3.2% |
| Electrical | fail | 3% |
| Wheels | fail | 2.3% |
Advisories (wear noted but not failed) are excluded above; the most common is suspension.
ES2 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 | 5 | 18,240 mi | 1,917 | 90% |
| 2008 | 7 | 4,853 mi | 223 | 96.88% |
| 2002 | 7 | 6,798 mi | 331 | 100% |
| 2001 | 5 | 3,937 mi | 94 | 100% |
| 2000 | 5 | 12,093 mi | 674 | 95.83% |
| 1996 | 6 | 29,653 mi | 708 | 93.1% |
| 1994 | 5 | 6,942 mi | 436 | 85% |
| 1992 | 5 | 6,241 mi | 210 | 100% |
| 1991 | 5 | 8,028 mi | 16 | 94.44% |
| 1990 | 6 | 3,584 mi | 54 | 88.46% |
| 1988 | 5 | 27,739 mi | 1,045 | 100% |
| 1986 | 7 | 6,165 mi | 167 | 82.14% |
| 1984 | 10 | 9,436 mi | 52 | 100% |
| 1983 | 8 | 4,665 mi | 77 | 96.88% |
| 1962 | 14 | 36,074 mi | 76 | 92.86% |
| 1961 | 27 | 28,488 mi | 269 | 88.76% |
| 1960 | 27 | 8,958 mi | 209 | 94.23% |
| 1959 | 24 | 10,678 mi | 274 | 88.17% |
| 1958 | 13 | 22,076 mi | 230 | 88.24% |
| 1957 | 14 | 13,083 mi | 187 | 89.06% |
ES2 questions, answered with data
What are the most common problems with the Norton ES2?
Across 516 UK examples, the most frequently recorded MOT faults are lights and indicators (12.5% of all recorded faults), other (8.8% of all recorded faults), brakes (8.1% of all recorded faults).
What is average mileage for a Norton ES2?
The median Norton ES2 in the UK has covered 11,361 miles, and typically rides about 186 miles a year. Half of all examples fall between 2,190 and 34,264 miles.
Is the Norton ES2 reliable?
91.56% of Norton ES2 MOT tests are passed first time, with an average of 0.38 faults recorded per test. This is measured from DVSA MOT records, not owner opinion.
Based on DVSA MOT test records for 516 Norton ES2 motorcycles registered in Great Britain and Northern Ireland. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.