BMW R1150 MOT pass rate & common failures

At a glance

Recorded pass rate

1.9 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 R1150 tests in which each item was recorded. One failed test often lists several, so these do not sum to 100%.

1. 1.A shock absorber not functioning or leaking severely16.5%

   17 occurrences

2. 2.Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements15.5%

   16 occurrences

3. 3.Brake lining or pad worn below 1.0mm8.7%

   9 occurrences

4. 4.Significant brake effort recorded with no brake applied indicating a binding brake8.7%

   9 occurrences

5. 5.Excessive fluctuation in brake effort through each wheel revolution7.8%

   8 occurrences

6. 6.Brake efficiency below minimum requirement6.8%

   7 occurrences

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

   7 occurrences

8. 8.A stop lamp(s) does not illuminate by the operation of both brake controls or remains on when the brakes are released5.8%

   6 occurrences

9. 9.A direction indicator lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning4.9%

   5 occurrences

10. 10.A headlamp missing, inoperative or more than ½ not functioning in the case of LED4.9%

    5 occurrences

11. 11.A lamp missing or inoperative4.9%

    5 occurrences

12. 12.A tyre valve seriously damaged or misaligned likely which could cause sudden deflation of the tyre3.9%

    4 occurrences

Warnings without a failure

Most common advisories

Share of all BMW R1150 tests carrying each advisory.

1. 1.Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements9.6%

   126 tests

2. 2.Brake lining or pad worn below 1.0mm4.6%

   60 tests

3. 3.Excessive fluctuation in brake effort through each wheel revolution4.4%

   58 tests

4. 4.Brake disc or drum excessively weakened, insecure or fractured4.2%

   55 tests

5. 5.A shock absorber not functioning or leaking severely3.8%

   50 tests

6. 6.A wheel bearing with excessive play2.1%

   27 tests

7. 7.Significant brake effort recorded with no brake applied indicating a binding brake1.9%

   25 tests

8. 8.Brake disc or drum significantly and obviously worn1.9%

   25 tests

What gets tested

The R1150 fleet

Average mileage recorded at test

43,151

Test classes

class 2: 1,316

Compare within the range

Other BMW motorcycles

• BMW R Series91.9% raw
• BMW R120094.9%
• BMW S 100091.8%
• BMW R125096.2% raw
• BMW R 120095.3% raw
• BMW K Series89.7% raw
• All BMW motorcycles

Common questions

What is the MOT pass rate for a BMW R1150?

88.4% unadjusted, from 1,316 DVSA tests. The average across all motorcycles is 86.5%.

What does a BMW R1150 fail its MOT on?

"A shock absorber not functioning or leaking severely" is recorded in 16.5% of failed BMW R1150 tests, followed by "Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements" (15.5%). One failed test often lists several items.

What mileage does a BMW R1150 usually have at its MOT?

43,151 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.