BMW R 1200 MOT pass rate and common failures
BMW R 1200 motorcycles pass the MOT 95.28% of the time, measured across 6,170 tests in the DVSA record. A further 1.67% passed only after a defect was put right at the test station.
What to check before the MOT
Built from this model's own failure record, not general advice.
- Start with less than 1.0 mm thick - it accounts for 30.3% of failed tests on this model.
- Then check tread depth is below minimum requirements of 1.0mm and too low, the next two most common reasons.
- Age matters here: 95.49% of 6-10 year old examples pass, against 86.67% at 16+ years - a gap of 8.8 points.
- The most common advisory is less than 1.0 mm thick (6.4% of all tests) - not a failure, but money you will spend sooner or later.
- Average recorded mileage at test is 27,241 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 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6-10 years | 95.49% | 4,962 | |
| 11-15 years | 94.86% | 1,148 | |
| 16+ years | 86.67% | 60 |
Why the BMW R 1200 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 | Less than 1.0 mm thick | 30.3% | 57 | |
| 2 | Tread depth is below minimum requirements of 1.0mm | 20.7% | 39 | |
| 3 | Too low | 19.7% | 37 | |
| 4 | Not working | 13.3% | 25 | |
| 5 | Too high | 11.7% | 22 | |
| 6 | Excessively binding | 9.6% | 18 | |
| 7 | Has a serious fluid leak | 8% | 15 | |
| 8 | Has insufficient reserve travel | 6.4% | 12 | |
| 9 | Has negligible damping effect | 6.4% | 12 | |
| 10 | The less effective brake control does not achieve an efficiency of 25% | 6.4% | 12 |
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 | Less than 1.0 mm thick | 6.4% | 396 | |
| 2 | Tread depth is below minimum requirements of 1.0mm | 6% | 372 | |
| 3 | Indicates excessive fluctuation of brake effort | 2.7% | 169 | |
| 4 | In such a condition that it is seriously weakened | 1.3% | 82 | |
| 5 | Tread not clearly visible | 1.2% | 77 | |
| 6 | Has a serious fluid leak | 1.2% | 76 | |
| 7 | Excessively binding | 1% | 59 | |
| 8 | Significantly and obviously worn | 0.9% | 55 | |
| 9 | Excessively distorted | 0.9% | 53 | |
| 10 | Noise is clearly in excess of that emitted by a similar motorcycle fitted with a standard silencer in average condition | 0.8% | 51 |
BMW R 1200 for sale
No BMW R 1200 in stock at the moment - 86 other BMW bikes are advertised.
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 R SERIES · 1,152cc | 9,796 | 91.92% | 40,594 | |
| BMW R1200 · 1,170cc | 9,521 | 94.43% | 28,830 | |
| BMW S 1000 · 999cc | 8,445 | 91.96% | 15,282 | |
| BMW R1250 · 1,254cc | 6,764 | 96.17% | 17,373 |
Source: DVSA MOT testing data, 2025 · updated Aug 2026 · licence and method