2018 Mutt Mongrel 125 0.1L Petrol · FP05 FOX

The 2018 Mutt Mongrel 125 holds a valid MOT certificate following its pass on 6 June 2025 at 7,212 miles, yet the maintenance trend over the preceding twelve months is clearly deteriorating rather than stable. In the May 2025 test at the same recorded mileage, the machine failed on three separate points: excessive rear brake effort fluctuation, slight front brake effort fluctuation, and an excessively tight drive chain deemed likely to fail. The front brake reappeared as a pass-eligible advisory a fortnight later, but the rear brake and chain faults were rectified rather than simply monitored, suggesting a reactive repair pattern. The tester flagged binding rear brakes and a chain under dangerous tension, both of which point to neglected routine adjustment rather than catastrophic wear. The mileage profile tells its own story. Covering just 902 miles per year on average, this is a low-use machine that has spent extended periods stationary. The record shows a 922-mile jump between April 2024 at 6,290 miles and June 2025 at 7,212 miles, concentrated in roughly twelve months after a full year with no test. Before that, the bike accumulated only 2,569 miles across the two years spanning April 2023 to April 2024. Such irregular usage patterns are consistent with a machine that sits unused for months at a time, which carries its own risks: tyre perishing, brake seizure from surface corrosion, chain neglect, and stale fuel system deposits. A buyer should focus the physical inspection on the components the MOT history has already flagged. The rear brake caliper and master cylinder need close examination for signs of sticking pistons or contaminated fluid, given the excessive fluctuation recorded in May 2025. The drive chain and sprockets warrant measurement of free play and visual check for tight spots or kinking, since the tester considered the condition close to failure only a year ago. With so few miles covered annually, tyre date codes matter more than tread depth; originals from 2018 will be well past safe service life regardless of remaining rubber. The front brake fluctuation, though downgraded to slight by the June retest, still warrants inspection of disc runout and pad condition to confirm the issue has not simply been masked by new pads on a warped disc.