Yamaha YZ 250
Real ownership data from 379 UK YZ 250 motorcycles — mileage, MOT pass rates and the faults that actually come up, taken from DVSA test records rather than opinion.
Most common YZ 250 problems
Ranked by how often each fault appears in this model's MOT history.
| Fault | Severity | Share of faults |
|---|---|---|
| Other | fail | 22% |
| Lights and indicators | fail | 6.5% |
| Suspension | dangerous | 3.3% |
| Tyres | major | 3.1% |
| Electrical | fail | 2.4% |
| Chain and sprockets | user entered | 2% |
| Brakes | fail | 2% |
| Brake discs and pads | fail | 1.4% |
Advisories (wear noted but not failed) are excluded above; the most common is other.
YZ 250 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 9 | — | — | — |
| 2025 | 8 | — | — | — |
| 2024 | 5 | — | — | — |
| 2023 | 5 | — | — | 100% |
| 2021 | 7 | — | — | 100% |
| 2019 | 9 | — | — | 75% |
| 2017 | 5 | — | — | — |
| 2016 | 7 | 778 mi | 235 | 85.71% |
| 2012 | 5 | — | — | 100% |
| 2011 | 7 | 5,868 mi | 417 | 80% |
| 2010 | 13 | 1 mi | — | 84.62% |
| 2008 | 17 | 46 mi | — | 89.36% |
| 2007 | 27 | 548 mi | 199 | 75% |
| 2006 | 25 | 2,010 mi | 480 | 87.64% |
| 2005 | 27 | 2,838 mi | 982 | 88.46% |
| 2004 | 27 | 290 mi | 266 | 82.83% |
| 2003 | 23 | 1,146 mi | 8 | 82.28% |
| 2002 | 13 | 189 mi | 91 | 68.18% |
| 2001 | 6 | 2 mi | — | 88.89% |
| 2000 | 11 | 1,620 mi | 90 | 80.77% |
YZ 250 questions, answered with data
What are the most common problems with the Yamaha YZ 250?
Across 379 UK examples, the most frequently recorded MOT faults are other (22% of all recorded faults), lights and indicators (6.5% of all recorded faults), suspension (3.3% of all recorded faults).
What is average mileage for a Yamaha YZ 250?
The median Yamaha YZ 250 in the UK has covered 377 miles, and typically rides about 161 miles a year. Half of all examples fall between 62 and 1,620 miles.
Is the Yamaha YZ 250 reliable?
82.7% of Yamaha YZ 250 MOT tests are passed first time, with an average of 1.68 faults recorded per test. This is measured from DVSA MOT records, not owner opinion.
Based on DVSA MOT test records for 379 Yamaha YZ 250 motorcycles registered in Great Britain and Northern Ireland. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.