Yamaha RD
Real ownership data from 387 UK RD motorcycles — mileage, MOT pass rates and the faults that actually come up, taken from DVSA test records rather than opinion.
Most common RD problems
Ranked by how often each fault appears in this model's MOT history.
| Fault | Severity | Share of faults |
|---|---|---|
| Lights and indicators | major | 16.5% |
| Suspension | fail | 4.7% |
| Tyres | fail | 3.1% |
| Chain and sprockets | fail | 2.4% |
| Steering and head bearings | fail | 2.4% |
| Other | fail | 2.2% |
| Brakes | major | 2.1% |
| Electrical | fail | 2% |
Advisories (wear noted but not failed) are excluded above; the most common is suspension.
RD mileage and reliability by year
Use this to judge whether a specific bike is high or low mileage for its age.
| YearYear | MedianMedian mileage | Mi/yrMiles/year | MOT passFirst-time pass | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1991 | 5 | 20,671 mi | 104 | 79.59% |
| 1989 | 10 | 23,713 mi | 119 | 84.38% |
| 1988 | 10 | 28,664 mi | 148 | 93.55% |
| 1987 | 10 | 25,436 mi | 198 | 74.58% |
| 1986 | 18 | 18,761 mi | 158 | 89.06% |
| 1985 | 19 | 27,131 mi | 165 | 79.63% |
| 1984 | 28 | 15,205 mi | 91 | 89.02% |
| 1983 | 22 | 20,961 mi | 399 | 85.92% |
| 1982 | 24 | 22,845 mi | 229 | 86.58% |
| 1981 | 53 | 26,201 mi | 182 | 87.68% |
| 1980 | 46 | 22,392 mi | 242 | 89.86% |
| 1979 | 31 | 19,928 mi | 220 | 86.59% |
| 1978 | 28 | 19,516 mi | 120 | 85.14% |
| 1977 | 14 | 20,280 mi | 136 | 76.71% |
| 1976 | 11 | 17,382 mi | 96 | 87.5% |
| 1975 | 10 | 13,863 mi | 176 | 90.38% |
RD questions, answered with data
What are the most common problems with the Yamaha RD?
Across 387 UK examples, the most frequently recorded MOT faults are lights and indicators (16.5% of all recorded faults), suspension (4.7% of all recorded faults), tyres (3.1% of all recorded faults).
What is average mileage for a Yamaha RD?
The median Yamaha RD in the UK has covered 21,164 miles, and typically rides about 178 miles a year. Half of all examples fall between 12,717 and 28,988 miles.
Is the Yamaha RD reliable?
86.63% of Yamaha RD 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 387 Yamaha RD motorcycles registered in Great Britain and Northern Ireland. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.