Yamaha V-Max
Real ownership data from 4,213 UK V-Max motorcycles — mileage, MOT pass rates and the faults that actually come up, taken from DVSA test records rather than opinion.
Most common V-Max problems
Ranked by how often each fault appears in this model's MOT history.
| Fault | Severity | Share of faults |
|---|---|---|
| Lights and indicators | major | 7.6% |
| Brakes | dangerous | 7.3% |
| Other | major | 4.3% |
| Tyres | fail | 3.1% |
| Brake discs and pads | major | 2.1% |
| Exhaust and emissions | major | 1.5% |
| Electrical | major | 1.3% |
| Steering and head bearings | fail | 1.1% |
Advisories (wear noted but not failed) are excluded above; the most common is brakes.
V-Max 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 5 | 20,835 mi | 359 | 80.95% |
| 2017 | 13 | 3,161 mi | 430 | 98.44% |
| 2016 | 49 | 7,652 mi | 566 | 93.57% |
| 2015 | 65 | 8,534 mi | 654 | 94.32% |
| 2014 | 6 | 7,590 mi | 648 | 100% |
| 2013 | 7 | 12,310 mi | 2,136 | 96.97% |
| 2012 | 20 | 8,965 mi | 820 | 81.25% |
| 2011 | 10 | 13,033 mi | 803 | 90.79% |
| 2010 | 23 | 16,732 mi | 1,181 | 88.89% |
| 2009 | 98 | 9,856 mi | 580 | 93.12% |
| 2008 | 44 | 12,157 mi | 924 | 89.01% |
| 2007 | 39 | 13,486 mi | 689 | 87.11% |
| 2006 | 39 | 17,256 mi | 586 | 87.78% |
| 2005 | 65 | 11,804 mi | 657 | 88.37% |
| 2004 | 51 | 17,711 mi | 756 | 85.92% |
| 2003 | 125 | 15,904 mi | 700 | 88.45% |
| 2002 | 130 | 20,189 mi | 667 | 87.42% |
| 2001 | 154 | 17,184 mi | 612 | 86.91% |
| 2000 | 269 | 17,949 mi | 668 | 86.7% |
| 1999 | 409 | 19,547 mi | 595 | 85.77% |
V-Max questions, answered with data
What are the most common problems with the Yamaha V-Max?
Across 4,213 UK examples, the most frequently recorded MOT faults are lights and indicators (7.6% of all recorded faults), brakes (7.3% of all recorded faults), other (4.3% of all recorded faults).
What is average mileage for a Yamaha V-Max?
The median Yamaha V-Max in the UK has covered 20,717 miles, and typically rides about 587 miles a year. Half of all examples fall between 11,372 and 31,844 miles.
Is the Yamaha V-Max reliable?
85.77% of Yamaha V-Max MOT tests are passed first time, with an average of 0.69 faults recorded per test. This is measured from DVSA MOT records, not owner opinion.
Based on DVSA MOT test records for 4,213 Yamaha V-Max motorcycles registered in Great Britain and Northern Ireland. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.