Should I check the MOT history before buying a 2002 Piaggio Skipper?

Yes. Look for recurring advisories — slow-building issues like corrosion or brake wear patterns show up years before they become failures. A full MOT history analysis will highlight patterns that a single test result won't reveal.

What corrosion should I look for when inspecting a 2002 Piaggio Skipper?

Check brake pipes, sills, subframes, and chassis legs. Surface rust is normal at this age; structural rust is a serious problem that is expensive to fix and can fail an MOT.

How are tyres and brakes typically on a 2002 Piaggio Skipper?

Tyres and brakes are the most common advisory items on vehicles of this age. Budget for replacement if they are near the limit, and factor this into your offer price.

Is the 2002 Piaggio Skipper reliable?

Based on MOT data from 182 vehicles, the 2002 Piaggio Skipper has a first-time MOT pass rate of 75.6%, indicating generally reliable for its class. Always check the full MOT history of any specific vehicle before buying.

What are common problems with the 2002 Piaggio Skipper?

The most frequently recorded MOT issues on the 2002 Piaggio Skipper are: Rear Tyre worn close to the legal limit (30.1% of vehicles), Front suspension assembly has slight free play between the sliding members (26.2% of vehicles), Front Tyre worn close to the legal limit (25.8% of vehicles). These figures are based on actual MOT test records — search a specific registration on CarHunch to see its individual history.

Do I need an HPI check when buying a 2002 Piaggio Skipper?

Yes. The MOT history will not show outstanding finance, insurance write-offs, or stolen status. An HPI check covers these areas and should be part of any used car purchase.

CarHunch

Get Started

Piaggio Skipper (2002)

182 real MOT outcomes analysed • 75.6% first-time pass rate

2002 Piaggio Skipper

CarHunch analysed 182 real MOT records for the 2002 Piaggio Skipper. Real test outcomes — pass rates, defect profiles, mileage data — from verified DVLA records. Updated as new MOTs are recorded.
Which year to buy? →

On this page

AI Analysis Reliability Overview Common Issues Check a Specific Reg Buyer's Checklist Mileage Distribution Still on the Road MOT Averages Compare Models

The 2002 Piaggio Skipper has a first-time MOT pass rate of 74.8%, which is 5.2 percentage points below the UK average of 80%, suggesting slightly weaker reliability than typical vehicles of this age. The dangerous defect rate of 13.7% is reasonable and not a major concern, though it's worth factoring into your inspection checklist.

These Skippers show modest average mileage of 11,260 miles—reasonable for a 22-year-old machine—but they're accumulating 1.73 failures and 3.6 advisories per test, indicating maintenance costs will be fairly consistent. Before buying, have a pre-purchase inspection focus on the defects most commonly failed (which the data doesn't break down by component), and budget for regular minor repairs rather than expecting a maintenance-free ownership experience.

We have limited data for the 2002 Piaggio Skipper — treat the figures below as indicative rather than definitive.

⚠️ Around 1 in 8 of these vehicles have had a dangerous MOT failure at some point — usually tyres or brakes, and often a one-off issue rather than a persistent problem. The group stats won't tell you which one you're looking at.

First-time pass

75.6%

UK average ~80%

Around average

Dangerous (ever)

13.7%

At least once in MOT history

Check this vehicle

Avg failures / car

1.73

Over 7 tests on record

High

Typical mileage

10k

Middle half: 7k–14k

For context

These stats describe 182 vehicles as a group. The specific vehicle you're looking at could be the one good example or the one outlier. Run its registration to find out.

Average reliability — agree?

What tends to go wrong

Across 182 vehicles — figures show how many had each issue flagged at least once in their MOT history.

Tyre wear 30.1%

Rear Tyre worn close to the legal limit · Front Tyre worn close to the legal limit · Rear Tyre tread depth is below minimum requirements of 1.0mm · …

Budget for a full set — on a vehicle this age, tyres are expected consumables. An inspection will confirm how much is left.

Suspension & steering 26.2%

Front suspension assembly has slight free play between the sliding members · Front suspension has slight stiffness in the movement of the suspension. · Steering headbearing has slight free play

Harder to spot without a ramp — this is a good reason to book a pre-purchase inspection.

Lighting 18.7%

Rear reflector on motorcycle missing · Headlamp at least one does not illuminate on dipped beam · Exhaust slightly deteriorated · …

Usually cheap to fix. Worth confirming all lights work before collecting.

Brake wear 18.2%

Front Brake pad(s) close to minimum limit · Front Brake pad(s) less than 1.5 mm thick · Rear Roller brake test indicates slight fluctuation of brake effort

Ask the seller when brakes were last serviced. If they don't know, factor in the cost.

Exhaust & emissions 12%

Exhaust is leaking but is not excessively noisey

Data covers a 3-year window centred on 2002.

See this vehicle's full MOT history & AI hunches

Spot recurring advisories, hidden issues, and how it compares to 182 Piaggio Skipper cars.

Before you buy a 2002 Piaggio Skipper

Based on MOT data from 182 vehicles — here's what to check.

📋 Check the full MOT history. 13.7% of these vehicles have had a dangerous defect recorded - recurring advisories often signal problems years before they become failures.
Search the reg on CarHunch for the full MOT history, reliability stats and a free AI-powered analysis of that exact vehicle.
🔍 Brake pipes, sills and subframes are the key areas on a vehicle this age — structural rust is hard to spot without getting underneath. A mechanic will check all of this before you commit, and give you a concrete basis to negotiate on price. Inspection →
📄 Outstanding finance, insurance write-offs and clocking won't appear in the MOT records — a dedicated history check covers all of this. Our link gets you 20% off automatically. History Get 20% off via CarHunch

Mileage Distribution

Most 2002 Piaggio Skipper vehicles sit in the blue band. If the vehicle you're looking at is outside it, it's either unusually low or high mileage for its age.

9,844

typical

6,532

low mileage

14,271

high mileage

Half of all 2002 Piaggio Skipper vehicles fall between 6,532 and 14,271 miles.

Is the mileage you're seeing normal?

✓ Under 6,532 miles — lower than most. Could be great, or could be a vehicle that rarely moved. Check test frequency and mileage progression in the MOT history.

✓ 6,532–14,271 miles — normal for age. This is where most 2002 Piaggio Skippers sit.

⚠ Over 19,265 miles — higher than typical. Not necessarily a problem, but check service history and look out for advisory build-up on tyres and brakes.

2002 Piaggio Skipper — Still on the Road

Numbers are thinning — 22% of 2002 Piaggio Skippers are still active.

Numbers are declining — 10 vehicles still getting MOTs in 2023 (22% of peak).

Based on vehicles from this manufacture year that had at least one MOT test in each calendar year. Data from 2014–2023.
* The 2020 dip reflects the government's COVID-19 MOT exemption, which allowed certificates to be extended by six months — fewer tests were conducted that year.

MOT History Averages

Avg MOT tests per vehicle

1.73

Avg failures per vehicle

3.6

Avg advisories per vehicle

Other model years — Piaggio Skipper: All Skipper years → Which year to buy? →

1996 2000 2001 2003 2004 2005

Or browse all models: Piaggio →

Compare with another model

See how the 2002 Piaggio Skipper stacks up against a rival.

Average reliability — agree?