BMW R 1200 MOT pass rate & common failures

At a glance

Recorded pass rate

8.7 points above the fleet average of 86.5%. The examples tested do not cover a wide enough spread of ages and mileages to compare fairly against the rest of the fleet, so no rank is claimed; the failure record below stands on its own.

DVSA recorded wording

Most common failure items

Share of failed BMW R 1200 tests in which each item was recorded. One failed test often lists several, so these do not sum to 100%.

1. 1.Brake lining or pad worn below 1.0mm22.1%

   42 occurrences

2. 2.Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements20.5%

   39 occurrences

3. 3.Audible warning not working9.5%

   18 occurrences

4. 4.A shock absorber not functioning or leaking severely8.9%

   17 occurrences

5. 5.Significant brake effort recorded with no brake applied indicating a binding brake6.8%

   13 occurrences

6. 6.Brake efficiency below minimum requirement6.3%

   12 occurrences

7. 7.A shock absorber not functioning or leaking severely6.3%

   12 occurrences

8. 8.A wheel bearing excessively rough5.3%

   10 occurrences

9. 9.Excessive fluctuation in brake effort through each wheel revolution4.2%

   8 occurrences

10. 10.Brake control has insufficient reserve travel3.7%

    7 occurrences

11. 11.Significant brake effort recorded with no brake applied indicating a binding brake3.2%

    6 occurrences

12. 12.On a motorcycle with two front or rear wheels, there is no recorded brake effort at a wheel2.6%

    5 occurrences

Warnings without a failure

Most common advisories

Share of all BMW R 1200 tests carrying each advisory.

1. 1.Brake lining or pad worn below 1.0mm6.9%

   427 tests

2. 2.Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements6.8%

   425 tests

3. 3.Excessive fluctuation in brake effort through each wheel revolution2.9%

   183 tests

4. 4.Brake disc or drum excessively weakened, insecure or fractured1.5%

   96 tests

5. 5.A shock absorber not functioning or leaking severely1.4%

   85 tests

6. 6.Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements1.4%

   85 tests

7. 7.Brake disc or drum significantly and obviously worn1.2%

   75 tests

8. 8.A wheel excessively corroded, damaged or distorted0.9%

   53 tests

How wear changes the picture

R 1200 pass rate by age and registration year

What gets tested

The R 1200 fleet

Average mileage recorded at test

27,265

Test classes

class 2: 6,217 · class 1: 6

Compare within the range

Other BMW motorcycles

• BMW R Series91.9% raw
• BMW R120094.9%
• BMW S 100091.8%
• BMW R125096.2% raw
• BMW K Series89.7% raw
• BMW R Ninet94.3% raw
• All BMW motorcycles

Common questions

What is the MOT pass rate for a BMW R 1200?

95.3% unadjusted, from 6,223 DVSA tests. The average across all motorcycles is 86.5%.

What does a BMW R 1200 fail its MOT on?

"Brake lining or pad worn below 1.0mm" is recorded in 22.1% of failed BMW R 1200 tests, followed by "Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements" (20.5%). One failed test often lists several items.

What mileage does a BMW R 1200 usually have at its MOT?

27,265 miles on average across every age tested, so a description of the fleet rather than an annual figure. Motorcycle mileages are low and vary enormously with use; a commuter bike and a weekend bike of the same age can differ by a factor of ten.