Yamaha YZF-R1
Real ownership data from 33,458 UK YZF-R1 motorcycles — mileage, MOT pass rates and the faults that actually come up, taken from DVSA test records rather than opinion.
Most common YZF-R1 problems
Ranked by how often each fault appears in this model's MOT history.
| Fault | Severity | Share of faults |
|---|---|---|
| Brakes | minor | 1.4% |
| Controls and cables | fail | 0.5% |
| Exhaust and emissions | user entered | 0.5% |
| Brake discs and pads | major | 0.4% |
| Steering and head bearings | dangerous | 0.4% |
| Chain and sprockets | user entered | 0.4% |
| Suspension | dangerous | 0.3% |
| Wheels | major | 0.2% |
Advisories (wear noted but not failed) are excluded above; the most common is wheels.
YZF-R1 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 | 6 | — | — | — |
| 2025 | 68 | — | — | — |
| 2024 | 180 | — | — | — |
| 2023 | 213 | 3,170 mi | 2,086 | 90.79% |
| 2022 | 198 | 4,559 mi | 1,434 | 92.91% |
| 2021 | 222 | 5,324 mi | 884 | 92.46% |
| 2020 | 296 | 6,402 mi | 1,008 | 91.39% |
| 2019 | 246 | 7,526 mi | 997 | 89.81% |
| 2018 | 294 | 9,054 mi | 1,114 | 92.25% |
| 2017 | 390 | 8,488 mi | 938 | 92.53% |
| 2016 | 713 | 9,455 mi | 910 | 91.79% |
| 2015 | 602 | 11,178 mi | 1,102 | 89.91% |
| 2014 | 304 | 11,405 mi | 960 | 87.04% |
| 2013 | 300 | 12,096 mi | 1,044 | 88.33% |
| 2012 | 435 | 13,358 mi | 997 | 87.65% |
| 2011 | 507 | 15,047 mi | 1,114 | 86.33% |
| 2010 | 716 | 15,314 mi | 1,119 | 86.81% |
| 2009 | 1,560 | 15,548 mi | 1,130 | 86.68% |
| 2008 | 1,546 | 16,488 mi | 1,046 | 86.83% |
| 2007 | 2,082 | 16,670 mi | 1,093 | 85.53% |
YZF-R1 questions, answered with data
What are the most common problems with the Yamaha YZF-R1?
Across 33,458 UK examples, the most frequently recorded MOT faults are brakes (1.4% of all recorded faults), controls and cables (0.5% of all recorded faults), exhaust and emissions (0.5% of all recorded faults).
What is average mileage for a Yamaha YZF-R1?
The median Yamaha YZF-R1 in the UK has covered 19,016 miles, and typically rides about 995 miles a year. Half of all examples fall between 11,358 and 28,345 miles.
Is the Yamaha YZF-R1 reliable?
85.18% of Yamaha YZF-R1 MOT tests are passed first time, with an average of 0.72 faults recorded per test. This is measured from DVSA MOT records, not owner opinion.
Based on DVSA MOT test records for 33,458 Yamaha YZF-R1 motorcycles registered in Great Britain and Northern Ireland. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.