1991 Yamaha 0.5L Petrol · H837 VAA

This 1991 Yamaha presents a stable and recently improving maintenance trend, passing its most recent MOT on 14 July 2025 at 25,812 miles with only minor advisories. The tester flagged a slightly notchy steering head bearing and noisy upper and lower sections of the offside exhaust. These are not failures, but they indicate the bike has been sitting or used gently enough that corrosion and seizing, rather than high-mileage wear, are the primary concerns. The clean pass in 2023 at 25,335 miles, following a failure just days earlier on 18 May 2023 at 25,331 miles, shows the previous owner addressed a worn front shock absorber, a loose steering head bearing, and a missing rear reflector promptly. That quick turnaround suggests attentive, if reactive, maintenance. The mileage pattern tells a story of very light use and a significant gap in the record. The bike covered only 616 miles between the May 2012 test at 25,196 miles and the May 2023 test at 25,335 miles, a span of eleven years. This equates to roughly 56 miles per year, strongly indicating long periods of storage. The 265-mile increase between the 2023 and 2025 tests shows slightly more recent use, but the overall annual average of 737 miles remains exceptionally low. Such sporadic use raises the risk of dried-out fork seals, perished rubber hoses, and corroded brake components from standing rather than riding. A buyer should focus the physical inspection on components vulnerable to dormancy. The 2024 advisory for a light oil misting on the nearside front shock absorber, combined with the 2023 failure for negligible damping on the other front unit, means both forks likely need seal replacement and fluid service regardless of the current pass status. The notchy steering head bearing flagged in 2025, and the excessive wear noted in the 2023 failure, point to a bearing that has been static for long periods and requires adjustment or replacement. The noisy offside exhaust sections warrant a close check for corroded joints or holed silencers, particularly where the pipes meet the cylinder head. Given the eleven-year gap in records, a thorough inspection of brake calipers for seized pistons, tyre sidewalls for age-related cracking regardless of tread depth, and fuel system for varnish or blockages is essential before any purchase.