BMW S 1000 MOT pass rate and common failures
BMW S 1000 motorcycles pass the MOT 91.96% of the time, measured across 8,445 tests in the DVSA record. A further 4.05% 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 54.6% of failed tests on this model.
- Then check not working on dipped beam and does not conform to the specified requirements, the next two most common reasons.
- Age matters here: 94.66% of 3-5 year old examples pass, against 87.87% at 11-15 years - a gap of 6.8 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 (9.3% of all tests) - not a failure, but money you will spend sooner or later.
- Average recorded mileage at test is 15,282 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 | 94.66% | 1,836 | |
| 6-10 years | 91.9% | 5,471 | |
| 11-15 years | 87.87% | 1,138 |
Why the BMW S 1000 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 | 54.6% | 184 | |
| 2 | Not working on dipped beam | 26.1% | 88 | |
| 3 | Does not conform to the specified requirements | 22.8% | 77 | |
| 4 | Tread depth is below minimum requirements of 1.0mm | 18.7% | 63 | |
| 5 | Not working | 17.2% | 58 | |
| 6 | Too high | 15.7% | 53 | |
| 7 | Projected beam image obviously incorrect | 8.9% | 30 | |
| 8 | Rough when rotated | 8.9% | 30 | |
| 9 | Less than 1.0 mm thick | 8% | 27 | |
| 10 | Obviously incorrectly positioned | 8% | 27 |
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 | 9.3% | 787 | |
| 2 | Tread depth is below minimum requirements of 1.0mm | 5.4% | 452 | |
| 3 | Less than 1.0 mm thick | 3.1% | 266 | |
| 4 | Excessively loose | 2.2% | 190 | |
| 5 | Indicates excessive fluctuation of brake effort | 1.4% | 115 | |
| 6 | Tread not clearly visible | 1.2% | 102 | |
| 7 | Worn to excess | 0.8% | 69 | |
| 8 | Has excessive play | 0.8% | 68 | |
| 9 | Excessively distorted | 0.5% | 44 | |
| 10 | Has a serious fluid leak | 0.4% | 32 |
BMW S 1000 for sale
No BMW S 1000 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 R1250 · 1,254cc | 6,764 | 96.17% | 17,373 | |
| BMW R 1200 · 1,170cc | 6,170 | 95.28% | 27,241 |
Source: DVSA MOT testing data, 2025 · updated Aug 2026 · licence and method