Yamaha YZF-R
Real ownership data from 2,778 UK YZF-R motorcycles — mileage, MOT pass rates and the faults that actually come up, taken from DVSA test records rather than opinion.
Most common YZF-R problems
Ranked by how often each fault appears in this model's MOT history.
| Fault | Severity | Share of faults |
|---|---|---|
| Steering and head bearings | dangerous | 13.3% |
| Chain and sprockets | dangerous | 12.6% |
| Other | major | 10.4% |
| Brakes | fail | 7.8% |
| Electrical | fail | 6.2% |
| Controls and cables | fail | 5.7% |
| Exhaust and emissions | fail | 5.4% |
| Wheels | major | 4% |
Advisories (wear noted but not failed) are excluded above; the most common is frame and structure.
YZF-R 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 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 17 | — | — | — |
| 2025 | 30 | — | — | — |
| 2024 | 57 | — | — | 100% |
| 2023 | 75 | 3,797 mi | — | 82.86% |
| 2022 | 26 | 4,771 mi | 1,572 | 79.17% |
| 2021 | 136 | 6,412 mi | 1,430 | 90.05% |
| 2020 | 82 | 7,250 mi | 1,462 | 87.57% |
| 2019 | 137 | 6,942 mi | 1,076 | 90.54% |
| 2018 | 168 | 8,630 mi | 1,107 | 83.75% |
| 2017 | 124 | 9,298 mi | 1,084 | 86.37% |
| 2016 | 221 | 11,274 mi | 1,125 | 86.74% |
| 2015 | 271 | 10,283 mi | 1,041 | 84.55% |
| 2014 | 9 | 1 mi | — | 92.86% |
| 2013 | 5 | 1,777 mi | 250 | 75% |
| 2012 | 7 | 31 mi | 559 | 73.91% |
| 2010 | 6 | 39 mi | — | 100% |
| 2009 | 12 | 15,882 mi | 1,592 | 82% |
| 2008 | 16 | 2,609 mi | 64 | 88.24% |
| 2007 | 20 | 3,692 mi | 127 | 83.72% |
| 2006 | 12 | 2,119 mi | 297 | 84% |
YZF-R questions, answered with data
What are the most common problems with the Yamaha YZF-R?
Across 2,778 UK examples, the most frequently recorded MOT faults are steering and head bearings (13.3% of all recorded faults), chain and sprockets (12.6% of all recorded faults), other (10.4% of all recorded faults).
What is average mileage for a Yamaha YZF-R?
The median Yamaha YZF-R in the UK has covered 9,505 miles, and typically rides about 976 miles a year. Half of all examples fall between 4,235 and 18,557 miles.
Is the Yamaha YZF-R reliable?
84.4% of Yamaha YZF-R MOT tests are passed first time, with an average of 0.07 faults recorded per test. This is measured from DVSA MOT records, not owner opinion.
Based on DVSA MOT test records for 2,778 Yamaha YZF-R motorcycles registered in Great Britain and Northern Ireland. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.