Yamaha RD400
Real ownership data from 760 UK RD400 motorcycles — mileage, MOT pass rates and the faults that actually come up, taken from DVSA test records rather than opinion.
Most common RD400 problems
Ranked by how often each fault appears in this model's MOT history.
| Fault | Severity | Share of faults |
|---|---|---|
| Lights and indicators | major | 14.6% |
| Brakes | major | 10.9% |
| Other | fail | 5.4% |
| Tyres | fail | 2.6% |
| Wheels | fail | 2.4% |
| Steering and head bearings | fail | 2.5% |
| Electrical | fail | 2.3% |
| Chain and sprockets | fail | 1.7% |
Advisories (wear noted but not failed) are excluded above; the most common is suspension.
RD400 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | 11 | 19,774 mi | 78 | 84.21% |
| 2017 | 12 | 14,824 mi | 48 | 76.19% |
| 2016 | 11 | 13,998 mi | 82 | 95% |
| 2015 | 11 | 13,067 mi | 342 | 88.89% |
| 2014 | 8 | 16,913 mi | 239 | 96.67% |
| 2013 | 9 | 15,307 mi | 85 | 93.94% |
| 2012 | 12 | 10,676 mi | 176 | 88.14% |
| 2011 | 5 | 13,014 mi | 155 | 90.32% |
| 1983 | 5 | 17,054 mi | 88 | 69.57% |
| 1981 | 33 | 17,684 mi | 122 | 87.85% |
| 1980 | 92 | 20,744 mi | 134 | 87.33% |
| 1979 | 141 | 21,323 mi | 187 | 89.59% |
| 1978 | 133 | 17,651 mi | 135 | 88.99% |
| 1977 | 112 | 17,022 mi | 186 | 88.52% |
| 1976 | 109 | 20,555 mi | 177 | 88.3% |
RD400 questions, answered with data
What are the most common problems with the Yamaha RD400?
Across 760 UK examples, the most frequently recorded MOT faults are lights and indicators (14.6% of all recorded faults), brakes (10.9% of all recorded faults), other (5.4% of all recorded faults).
What is average mileage for a Yamaha RD400?
The median Yamaha RD400 in the UK has covered 19,274 miles, and typically rides about 154 miles a year. Half of all examples fall between 11,400 and 26,636 miles.
Is the Yamaha RD400 reliable?
88.98% of Yamaha RD400 MOT tests are passed first time, with an average of 0.46 faults recorded per test. This is measured from DVSA MOT records, not owner opinion.
Based on DVSA MOT test records for 760 Yamaha RD400 motorcycles registered in Great Britain and Northern Ireland. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.