BMW R NINET MOT pass rate and common failures
BMW R NINET motorcycles pass the MOT 94.06% of the time, measured across 3,318 tests in the DVSA record. A further 3.44% 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 missing - it accounts for 66.3% of failed tests on this model.
- Then check too high and does not conform to the specified requirements, the next two most common reasons.
- Age matters here: 94.76% of 3-5 year old examples pass, against 89.16% at 11-15 years - a gap of 5.6 points.
- The most common advisory is noise is clearly in excess of that emitted by a similar motorcycle fitted with a standard silencer in average condition (4% of all tests) - not a failure, but money you will spend sooner or later.
- Average recorded mileage at test is 8,621 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 | 94.76% | 840 | |
| 6-10 years | 93.99% | 2,395 | |
| 11-15 years | 89.16% | 83 |
Why the BMW R NINET 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 | Missing | 66.3% | 55 | |
| 2 | Too high | 49.4% | 41 | |
| 3 | Does not conform to the specified requirements | 38.6% | 32 | |
| 4 | Not working | 25.3% | 21 | |
| 5 | Obviously incorrectly positioned | 21.7% | 18 | |
| 6 | Too low | 14.5% | 12 | |
| 7 | Less than 1.0 mm thick | 13.3% | 11 | |
| 8 | Tread depth is below minimum requirements of 1.0mm | 10.8% | 9 | |
| 9 | Indicates excessive fluctuation of brake effort | 8.4% | 7 | |
| 10 | Adversely affected by the operation of another lamp | 3.6% | 3 |
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 | Noise is clearly in excess of that emitted by a similar motorcycle fitted with a standard silencer in average condition | 4% | 133 | |
| 2 | Tread depth is below minimum requirements of 1.0mm | 3.3% | 111 | |
| 3 | Indicates excessive fluctuation of brake effort | 1.8% | 61 | |
| 4 | Less than 1.0 mm thick | 0.8% | 27 | |
| 5 | Tread not clearly visible | 0.7% | 24 | |
| 6 | Has a serious fluid leak | 0.3% | 11 | |
| 7 | Significantly and obviously worn | 0.3% | 10 | |
| 8 | Excessively stiff or notchy | 0.2% | 7 | |
| 9 | Is so short that the brake cannot be readily applied | 0.2% | 7 | |
| 10 | Insecure | 0.2% | 5 |
BMW R NINET for sale
3 BMW R NINET adverts on MotoDealers UK right now, 86 BMW in total.
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