Yamaha RD500
Real ownership data from 430 UK RD500 motorcycles — mileage, MOT pass rates and the faults that actually come up, taken from DVSA test records rather than opinion.
Most common RD500 problems
Ranked by how often each fault appears in this model's MOT history.
| Fault | Severity | Share of faults |
|---|---|---|
| Lights and indicators | major | 18.7% |
| Brakes | dangerous | 13.3% |
| Other | dangerous | 7.8% |
| Suspension | major | 7.6% |
| Steering and head bearings | fail | 2.8% |
| Electrical | major | 2.8% |
| Tyres | fail | 2.6% |
| Brake discs and pads | major | 2.3% |
Advisories (wear noted but not failed) are excluded above; the most common is other.
RD500 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 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 6 | 6,705 mi | 12 | 86.96% |
| 2015 | 5 | 6,745 mi | 5 | 87.5% |
| 2008 | 6 | 10,652 mi | 85 | 80% |
| 1993 | 5 | 28,087 mi | 68 | 89.29% |
| 1991 | 7 | 14,377 mi | 460 | 91.43% |
| 1988 | 8 | 16,576 mi | 336 | 79.17% |
| 1987 | 17 | 19,991 mi | 351 | 88.24% |
| 1986 | 54 | 22,224 mi | 125 | 85.02% |
| 1985 | 193 | 20,620 mi | 126 | 90.13% |
| 1984 | 83 | 16,779 mi | 162 | 94.38% |
RD500 questions, answered with data
What are the most common problems with the Yamaha RD500?
Across 430 UK examples, the most frequently recorded MOT faults are lights and indicators (18.7% of all recorded faults), brakes (13.3% of all recorded faults), other (7.8% of all recorded faults).
What is average mileage for a Yamaha RD500?
The median Yamaha RD500 in the UK has covered 19,389 miles, and typically rides about 127 miles a year. Half of all examples fall between 11,683 and 25,737 miles.
Is the Yamaha RD500 reliable?
89.54% of Yamaha RD500 MOT tests are passed first time, with an average of 0.34 faults recorded per test. This is measured from DVSA MOT records, not owner opinion.
Based on DVSA MOT test records for 430 Yamaha RD500 motorcycles registered in Great Britain and Northern Ireland. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.