Piaggio APE
Real ownership data from 775 UK APE motorcycles — mileage, MOT pass rates and the faults that actually come up, taken from DVSA test records rather than opinion.
Most common APE problems
Ranked by how often each fault appears in this model's MOT history.
| Fault | Severity | Share of faults |
|---|---|---|
| Lights and indicators | dangerous | 23% |
| Other | major | 11.4% |
| Brakes | dangerous | 9.1% |
| Tyres | dangerous | 3.5% |
| Suspension | major | 1.8% |
| Electrical | major | 1.6% |
| Controls and cables | major | 1% |
| Fluid leaks | major | 0.5% |
Advisories (wear noted but not failed) are excluded above; the most common is tyres.
APE 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 13 | — | — | — |
| 2025 | 14 | — | — | — |
| 2024 | 8 | — | — | — |
| 2023 | 6 | 839 mi | — | 100% |
| 2022 | 33 | 239 mi | 84 | 76.19% |
| 2021 | 25 | 1,272 mi | 488 | 89.74% |
| 2020 | 21 | 1,424 mi | 270 | 86.84% |
| 2019 | 31 | 741 mi | 120 | 89.06% |
| 2018 | 39 | 2,866 mi | 370 | 80.67% |
| 2017 | 50 | 855 mi | 86 | 79.69% |
| 2016 | 44 | 1,234 mi | 142 | 85.83% |
| 2015 | 64 | 2,328 mi | 154 | 81.22% |
| 2014 | 31 | 2,288 mi | 178 | 79.51% |
| 2013 | 31 | 703 mi | 71 | 72.55% |
| 2012 | 18 | 1,124 mi | 542 | 90% |
| 2011 | 16 | 3,302 mi | 751 | 75.61% |
| 2010 | 13 | 4,974 mi | 48 | 64.86% |
| 2008 | 20 | 5,452 mi | 250 | 64.2% |
| 2007 | 25 | 3,209 mi | 346 | 72.12% |
| 2006 | 26 | 3,001 mi | 159 | 84.77% |
APE questions, answered with data
What are the most common problems with the Piaggio APE?
Across 775 UK examples, the most frequently recorded MOT faults are lights and indicators (23% of all recorded faults), other (11.4% of all recorded faults), brakes (9.1% of all recorded faults).
What is average mileage for a Piaggio APE?
The median Piaggio APE in the UK has covered 2,472 miles, and typically rides about 158 miles a year. Half of all examples fall between 589 and 8,630 miles.
Is the Piaggio APE reliable?
78.07% of Piaggio APE MOT tests are passed first time, with an average of 1.03 faults recorded per test. This is measured from DVSA MOT records, not owner opinion.
Based on DVSA MOT test records for 775 Piaggio APE motorcycles registered in Great Britain and Northern Ireland. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.