Yamaha BW SPY
Real ownership data from 351 UK BW SPY motorcycles — mileage, MOT pass rates and the faults that actually come up, taken from DVSA test records rather than opinion.
Most common BW SPY problems
Ranked by how often each fault appears in this model's MOT history.
| Fault | Severity | Share of faults |
|---|---|---|
| Lights and indicators | major | 13.4% |
| Brakes | dangerous | 11.4% |
| Suspension | major | 9.2% |
| Tyres | fail | 7.7% |
| Steering and head bearings | fail | 4.8% |
| Brake discs and pads | major | 4.5% |
| Exhaust and emissions | fail | 2.9% |
| Other | fail | 2.9% |
Advisories (wear noted but not failed) are excluded above; the most common is suspension.
BW SPY 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 18 | 5,919 mi | 523 | 63.16% |
| 1999 | 32 | 10,821 mi | 958 | 50% |
| 1998 | 203 | 9,786 mi | 598 | 63.11% |
| 1997 | 87 | 10,113 mi | 571 | 61.54% |
BW SPY questions, answered with data
What are the most common problems with the Yamaha BW SPY?
Across 351 UK examples, the most frequently recorded MOT faults are lights and indicators (13.4% of all recorded faults), brakes (11.4% of all recorded faults), suspension (9.2% of all recorded faults).
What is average mileage for a Yamaha BW SPY?
The median Yamaha BW SPY in the UK has covered 9,842 miles, and typically rides about 575 miles a year. Half of all examples fall between 5,811 and 14,367 miles.
Is the Yamaha BW SPY reliable?
61.83% of Yamaha BW SPY MOT tests are passed first time, with an average of 1.51 faults recorded per test. This is measured from DVSA MOT records, not owner opinion.
Based on DVSA MOT test records for 351 Yamaha BW SPY motorcycles registered in Great Britain and Northern Ireland. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.