BMW F850 MOT pass rate and common failures

BMW F850 motorcycles pass the MOT 95.25% of the time, measured across 758 tests in the DVSA record. A further 2.77% passed only after a defect was put right at the test station.

Better than average: 8.4 points above the 86.87% figure for all motorcycles tested.

Pass rate 95.25% 722 of 758

Fixed at the station 2.77% passed after an on-the-spot repair

Average mileage at test 13,114 miles

Average age at test 5.84 years old

Engine 853cc MOT class 1 and 2

For sale now 0 BMW F850 adverts

What to check before the MOT

Built from this model's own failure record, not general advice.

Start with too high - it accounts for 40% of failed tests on this model.
Then check less than 1.0 mm thick and tread depth is below minimum requirements of 1.0mm, the next two most common reasons.
The most common advisory is tread depth is below minimum requirements of 1.0mm (3.4% of all tests) - not a failure, but money you will spend sooner or later.
Average recorded mileage at test is 13,114 miles, which is the number to compare any advert against.

Pass rate by age

A single pass rate hides the most useful thing in this data: how the same model behaves at three years old and at fifteen.

Age at test	Pass rate		Tests
3-5 years	95.66%		415
6-10 years	94.75%		343

Why the BMW F850 fails

Share of failed tests on this model where the item was recorded. One test can fail on several items, so the column does not add up to 100%.

#	Item	Of failures	Tests
1	Too high	40%	6
2	Less than 1.0 mm thick	26.7%	4
3	Tread depth is below minimum requirements of 1.0mm	26.7%	4
4	Has a serious fluid leak	20%	3
5	Missing	20%	3
6	Excessively binding	13.3%	2
7	Excessively loose	13.3%	2
8	Fouling on the fuel tank or bodywork on full lock	13.3%	2
9	Restricted in free movement from lock to lock	13.3%	2
10	Too low	13.3%	2

Most common advisories

Not a failure and not a legal requirement to fix - but an advisory that repeats year after year is money the next owner spends.

#	Item	Of all tests	Tests
1	Tread depth is below minimum requirements of 1.0mm	3.4%	26
2	Less than 1.0 mm thick	3.3%	25
3	Excessively loose	2.8%	21
4	Worn to excess	2.4%	18
5	Indicates excessive fluctuation of brake effort	1.5%	11
6	Is so short that the brake cannot be readily applied	1.2%	9
7	Noise is clearly in excess of that emitted by a similar motorcycle fitted with a standard silencer in average condition	1.1%	8
8	Sprocket worn to excess	0.9%	7
9	Excessively distorted	0.7%	5
10	Excessively tight	0.7%	5

BMW F850 for sale

No BMW F850 in stock at the moment - 86 other BMW bikes are advertised.

Used BMW F850 Used BMW All BMW BMW MOT statistics

Similar bikes compared

Models of comparable capacity, so the comparison means something.

Model	Tests	Pass rate	Avg mileage
Triumph TIGER · 969cc	16,144	91.27%	22,934
Triumph BONNEVILLE 642-904cc · 642-904cc	12,456	90.8%	12,824
BMW S 1000 · 999cc	8,445	91.96%	15,282
Yamaha YZF R1 · 998cc	6,022	88.01%	23,152
Yamaha MT 800-1000cc · 800-1000cc	5,720	90.98%	16,130
Honda NC · 741cc	5,311	89.53%	22,765

Source: DVSA MOT testing data, 2025 · updated Aug 2026 · licence and method

BMW F850 MOT questions

What is the MOT pass rate for the BMW F850?+

95.25% of BMW F850 MOT tests end in a pass, based on 758 tests in the DVSA dataset.

What is the most common MOT failure on a BMW F850?+

Too high, which appears in 40% of failed tests on this model.

Does the BMW F850 get harder to pass as it ages?+

At 6-10 years old the pass rate is 94.75%, against 95.66% for examples 3-5 years old.

Where does this data come from?+

From the DVSA anonymised MOT testing dataset, which records every MOT carried out in England, Scotland and Wales. It is published under the Open Government Licence and covers 2025.

Does a high pass rate mean the bike is reliable?+

Not by itself. The MOT checks safety items - brakes, tyres, lights, structure - and says nothing about engines, gearboxes or electrics. Read it as a maintenance signal, not a reliability score.