3,226 stations test motorcycles
Motorcycle MOT
3,226 of the 22,988 MOT stations in England, Scotland and Wales can test a motorcycle. Use the search below to find the nearest by postcode or town.
What a motorcycle MOT costs
The maximum fee is £29.65, or £37.80 with a sidecar. Garages may charge less. No VAT applies. Your first MOT is due when the bike is 3 years old.
| Vehicle | Maximum fee |
|---|---|
| Motorcycle, class 1 or 2 | £29.65 |
| Motorcycle with sidecar | £37.80 |
| Car, for comparison | £54.85 |
How often motorcycles fail
DVSA recorded 915,349 motorcycle MOTs in 2025. 8.3% failed, compared to 22.6% for cars. Bikes up to 200cc failed 15.1% of the time. Bikes over 200cc failed 6.4%.
- MOTs in 2025
- 915,349
- Failed
- 8.3%
- Cars failed
- 22.6%
When riders book their MOT
March to July were the busiest months. December was the quietest. The fail rate ranged from 9.8% in January to 7.7% in May. The data does not say why.
| Month | MOTs | Failed |
|---|---|---|
| January | 38,743 | 9.8% |
| February | 42,132 | 8.6% |
| March | 104,221 | 7.9% |
| April | 116,392 | 7.8% |
| May | 117,579 | 7.7% |
| June | 103,881 | 7.9% |
| July | 108,050 | 8.5% |
| August | 80,984 | 8.3% |
| September | 81,170 | 8.6% |
| October | 64,904 | 8.8% |
| November | 37,624 | 9.2% |
| December | 19,669 | 9.0% |
All MOT stations · Class 7 MOT for vans over 3 tonnes
What fails a motorcycle MOT
Lamps and reflectors failed most bikes, followed by brakes, suspension, and tyres. The most common advisory was exhaust noise louder than a standard silencer would make.
| Part | Tests failed on it |
|---|---|
| Lamps and reflectors | 35,520 |
| Brakes | 24,879 |
| Suspension | 17,469 |
| Tyres | 15,035 |
| Structure and attachments | 14,882 |
| Steering | 9,370 |
| Identification of the vehicle | 4,975 |
| Audible warning (horn) | 4,083 |
| Most common fail items | Tests |
|---|---|
| Shock absorbers: has a serious fluid leak | 9,638 |
| Condition: tread depth is below minimum requirements of 1.0mm | 9,491 |
| Brake pads: less than 1.0 mm thick | 6,457 |
| Stop lamp: not working | 5,393 |
| Rear reflectors: missing | 5,308 |
| Registration plate: does not conform to the specified requirements | 3,984 |
| Roller brake test: excessively binding | 3,934 |
| Stop lamp: does not illuminate by the operation of both brake controls | 3,889 |
Fail rate by make
This table lists every make with 1,000 or more MOTs in 2025. A make’s rate partly reflects how old and how small its bikes are.
| Make | MOTs | Failed | Median age |
|---|---|---|---|
| Honda | 193,923 | 8.8% | 12 yrs |
| Yamaha | 124,895 | 9.3% | 13 yrs |
| Triumph | 93,028 | 5.5% | 10 yrs |
| Suzuki | 88,030 | 8.5% | 18 yrs |
| BMW | 75,725 | 4.1% | 9 yrs |
| Kawasaki | 73,736 | 7.5% | 13 yrs |
| Harley-Davidson | 49,155 | 4.7% | 14 yrs |
| KTM | 29,852 | 8.3% | 7 yrs |
| Piaggio | 29,594 | 9.1% | 12 yrs |
| Ducati | 28,725 | 5.3% | 10 yrs |
| Royal Enfield | 13,889 | 4.6% | 5 yrs |
| Aprilia | 13,617 | 10.0% | 14 yrs |
| Lexmoto | 13,120 | 25.2% | 5 yrs |
| Moto Guzzi | 5,273 | 4.7% | 12 yrs |
| SYM | 5,208 | 16.1% | 6 yrs |
| Peugeot | 5,054 | 17.6% | 9 yrs |
| Husqvarna | 4,688 | 8.7% | 6 yrs |
| Keeway | 3,773 | 22.7% | 5 yrs |
| Benelli | 3,725 | 11.6% | 4 yrs |
| Sinnis | 3,101 | 24.3% | 5 yrs |
| Royal Alloy | 2,963 | 7.9% | 5 yrs |
| AJS | 2,781 | 18.5% | 7 yrs |
| Indian Motorcycle | 2,264 | 2.8% | 5 yrs |
| Mutt | 1,862 | 17.8% | 4 yrs |
| CCM | 1,826 | 5.3% | 7 yrs |
| KYMCO | 1,824 | 15.8% | 9 yrs |
| Lambretta | 1,795 | 4.9% | 21 yrs |
| MV Agusta | 1,771 | 5.9% | 10 yrs |
| Beta | 1,734 | 8.5% | 5 yrs |
| Zontes | 1,552 | 19.8% | 4 yrs |
| Vmoto | 1,498 | 9.2% | 4 yrs |
| LML | 1,382 | 8.7% | 12 yrs |
| Gilera | 1,372 | 12.4% | 22 yrs |
| Buell | 1,134 | 6.6% | 20 yrs |
| NIU | 1,111 | 10.0% | 4 yrs |
| Victory | 1,055 | 5.3% | 13 yrs |
Towns with the most motorcycle MOT stations
1,111 of 2,338 towns have at least one station. In many towns there is only one, so ring ahead to check availability.
- London 106
- Bristol 34
- Nottingham 34
- Manchester 32
- Derby 29
- Leicester 29
- Leeds 28
- Norwich 27
- Northampton 25
- Birmingham 24
- Chesterfield 24
- Hull 24
- Glasgow 22
- Liverpool 20
- Stoke on Trent 20
- Essex 19
- Swansea 19
- Doncaster 17
- Plymouth 17
- Preston 17
- Warrington 16
- Lincoln 15
- Newport 15
- Sheffield 15
- Southampton 15
- York 15
- Barnsley 14
- Bolton 14
- Peterborough 14
- Rotherham 14
- Wigan 14
- Wrexham 14
- Coventry 13
- Kent 13
- Swindon 13
- Bradford 12
- Shrewsbury 12
- Ipswich 11
- Newark 11
- Stockport 11
| Region | Approved stations | Share of the region’s stations |
|---|---|---|
| South East | 416 | 13.3% |
| South West | 359 | 14.0% |
| East Midlands | 359 | 18.9% |
| East of England | 352 | 15.2% |
| North West | 332 | 13.1% |
| West Midlands | 291 | 13.6% |
| Yorkshire and The Humber | 286 | 13.4% |
| Scotland | 257 | 12.5% |
| Wales | 211 | 15.4% |
| London | 202 | 14.1% |
| North East | 121 | 13.1% |
How this was worked out
We used DVSA’s anonymised MOT test results for 2025, published under the Open Government Licence. We counted normal tests only, excluding retests and aborted tests. A fail means failing at the first attempt. A part group counts a test once if it failed on any item in that group. Station counts come from the DVSA register of active MOT test stations, the 30 Sep 2026 release. We left out makes with fewer than 1,000 tests. Motorcycles are classes 1 and 2 together. We joined Harley-Davidson entries under both spellings.
- DVSA anonymised MOT test results, 2025
- DVSA active MOT test stations, 30 Sep 2026 release
- GOV.UK: MOT test fees, read 25 Oct 2026
Questions
How much does a motorcycle MOT cost?
The maximum fee is £29.65. With a sidecar, it is £37.80. Garages can charge less. No VAT is added.
Where can I get my motorcycle MOT?
Use the search above to find a station near you. 3,226 stations on the register can test motorcycles.
How old must my bike be for its first MOT?
Your first MOT is due when the bike is 3 years old.
Can any garage do a motorcycle MOT?
No. Only stations approved for motorcycle classes can test your bike. Check the station details before booking.
What fails a motorcycle MOT most often?
Lamps and reflectors are the top failure group. Brakes, suspension, and tyres follow. Exhaust noise is the most common advisory.