Photo: AVMOTO, CC BY-SA 4.0
Yamaha
R6
2,025 MOT tests analysed. sits above the UK fleet average — here's where R6s pass, fail, and end up on the retest sheet.
That's 4.3 points above the UK fleet average across our 1,984 tracked models — a confident result.
Pass
81.8%
Pass-after-fix
7.0%
Fail
10.9%
Avg miles
25,550
Pass + Pass-after-fix + Fail = 100%
This model's production run straddles the January 2006 Euro 4 cutoff. Individual cars vary — check your registration plate on the government's ULEZ checker. Daily charges if driven in the zone: London £12.50 · Birmingham £8.00 .
The picture
R6: above-average pass rates, with caveats
Across 1,424 MOT tests, the R6 returns 81.5% first-time pass — above the UK fleet average. The single most-logged Major fail is a non-functioning shock absorber. Tyre tread under the limit and a non-conforming number plate round out the top three. Average tested mileage sits at 24,698, which is the lens to read those failure rankings through. If you own one and the next test is close, the ranked list below is a sensible pre-test checklist.
Top ten reasons for rejection.
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- 01
A shock absorber not functioning or leaking severely
38 occurrences · 1.9% of tests
- 02
Reflector missing or reflecting white to the rear
24 occurrences · 1.2% of tests
- 03
Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements
21 occurrences · 1.0% of tests
- 04
A rear registration plate lamp or light source missing or inoperative in the case of a single lamp or all lamps
19 occurrences · 0.9% of tests
- 05
Number plate does not conform to the specified requirements
17 occurrences · 0.8% of tests
- 06
Rate of flashing not between 60 and 120 times per minute
17 occurrences · 0.8% of tests
- 07
Significant brake effort recorded with no brake applied indicating a binding brake
16 occurrences · 0.8% of tests
- 08
Stop lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning
16 occurrences · 0.8% of tests
- 09
Projected beam image is obviously incorrect
14 occurrences · 0.7% of tests
- 10
A direction indicator lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning
14 occurrences · 0.7% of tests
Counts cover Major and Dangerous defects logged at test. Advisory items excluded so this shows why a car was rejected, not just what the tester flagged in passing.
Worst-case fix budget · top 3 failures
£83–£165
If every one of this R6's most-logged Major fails hit at the same MOT, that's the real-world UK garage range. Reality is usually one or two items, not all of them. Open the estimator →
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Build your own retest budget.
Tools that pre-empt a retest.
Picked against this car's top failure patterns. Affiliate links to Amazon UK — we earn a small cut at no cost to you. Disclosed up-front, doesn't shape the data.
Item 01 · Amazon UK
Digital tyre-tread depth gauge
Five quid for a gauge beats £150 for a retest. UK MOT minimum is 1.6mm — most testers fail anything below 2mm to be safe.
Search Amazon UK
Item 02 · Amazon UK
H7 / W21W bulb pack
A spare-bulb kit lives in the boot. Test morning is not the time to find your stop-lamp's gone.
Search Amazon UK
Item 03 · Amazon UK
MOT-spec replacement number plate
Faded or non-standard plates fail outright. Replacements take ten minutes online with V5C details.
Search Amazon UK
My Motor World · affiliate
Parts & supplies for this fix
Affiliate links — small commission, no extra cost to you.
Click Mechanic · affiliate
Book a mobile mechanic
Affiliate links — small commission, no extra cost to you.
Mobile mechanic · UK-wide
Book a mechanic at your door.
Fixed-price quotes upfront. No garage needed. Click Mechanic sends a vetted local mechanic to you — home, work, or roadside.
Buying or keeping an R6?
Use the failure ranking as a pre-test checklist or a haggling lever. Treat the headline pass rate as a fleet-wide trend, not a guarantee on any individual car.
If you own an R6 and your last MOT looked nothing like the ranked failures above, that's normal — individual cars vary widely. The ranking shows the patterns testers flag most often across the country.