BMW
14,969 MOT tests analysed. sits above the UK fleet average — here's where R1200s pass, fail, and end up on the retest sheet.
That's 16.6 points above the UK fleet average across our 1,984 tracked models — a confident result.
Pass
94.2%
Pass-after-fix
2.2%
Fail
3.3%
Avg miles
26,833
Pass + Pass-after-fix + Fail = 100%
This model's production run straddles the January 2006 Euro 4 cutoff. Individual cars vary — check your registration plate on the government's ULEZ checker. Daily charges if driven in the zone: London £12.50 · Birmingham £8.00 .
Performance by cohort
2 year bands · 14,967 tests
Pass rate climbs 2.9 points across the cohorts — newer R1200 examples clear the test more reliably than the early cars.
Pass
93.7%
Fail
3.6%
PRS
2.4%
Avg mileage at test
28,694 mi
Pass
96.5%
Fail
1.7%
PRS
1.4%
Avg mileage at test
17,870 mi
Cohort = vehicle's first-registration year band. Same model, different generations of build.
The picture
R1200 may refer to any of the following motorcycles:
MOT data from 10,737 tests puts this car on an 94.7% first-time pass rate, well above the UK fleet average. Average mileage at test is 25,369 miles. The most common fail item is tyre tread below the legal limit, followed by brake lining or pad worn below 1.0mm.
For used buyers, the R1200's pass rate suggests it clears the MOT with fewer surprises than most — but the top failure items above are still worth a pre-purchase inspection, particularly on higher-mileage examples.
ABI Insurance Group
Above average — worth comparing quotes before buying. Lower groups cost less to insure; UK fleet average is around Group 22.
Source: ABI Group Rating Panel · administered by Thatcham Research · groups cover standard variants; performance trims may sit higher. Browse all insurance groups →
26–44
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Brake lining or pad worn below 1.0mm
93 occurrences · 0.6% of tests
Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements
74 occurrences · 0.5% of tests
Excessive fluctuation in brake effort through each wheel revolution
33 occurrences · 0.2% of tests
The aim of a headlamp is not within limits laid down in the requirements
29 occurrences · 0.2% of tests
A shock absorber not functioning or leaking severely
28 occurrences · 0.2% of tests
Significant brake effort recorded with no brake applied indicating a binding brake
22 occurrences · 0.1% of tests
A shock absorber not functioning or leaking severely
20 occurrences · 0.1% of tests
Lamp emitted colour, position or intensity not in accordance with the requirements
18 occurrences · 0.1% of tests
Audible warning not working
17 occurrences · 0.1% of tests
The aim of a headlamp is not within limits laid down in the requirements
13 occurrences · 0.1% of tests
Counts cover Major and Dangerous defects logged at test. Advisory items excluded so this shows why a car was rejected, not just what the tester flagged in passing.
Worst-case fix budget · top 3 failures
£150–£335
If every one of this R1200's most-logged Major fails hit at the same MOT, that's the real-world UK garage range. Reality is usually one or two items, not all of them. Open the estimator →
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Build your own retest budget.
Year-band analysis
First-time MOT pass rate split by registration band. A 2.9-point gap between bands is modest — the year you buy BMW R1200 makes a small but real difference to MOT outcomes.
Best band to buy
96.5%
2018–2020 registration
the 2018–2020 band climbs to 96.5% — a 2.9-point improvement. Tests in this band average 17,870 miles — roughly 11K miles fewer on the clock than the older band. Failures here are mostly wear items: less than 1.0 mm thick, not working — the structural issues that drag down older examples don't appear in the top-10 for this band. The stricter post-2018 MOT test rules meant manufacturers had to tighten up emissions and electrical checks, but this band still shows far fewer major failures on suspension and bodywork than the older fleet.
Band to be cautious about
93.7%
Pre-2018 registration
On the older band (pre-2018), the data shows a 93.7% pass rate against a fleet average of 96.5% on the newer band. The main culprits logged at test: less than 1.0 mm thick, tread depth is below minimum requirements of 1.0mm, and indicates excessive fluctuation of brake effort. Average mileage on test for this band is 28,694 miles — high-mileage wear items are a recurring theme.
Best band to buy: 2018-2020 (96.5% first-time pass). Worst band to avoid: pre-2018 (93.7% pass). That's a 2.9-point spread across 12,396 older tests and 2,571 newer ones — year of build makes a material difference on this model.
Picked against this car's top failure patterns. Affiliate links to Amazon UK — we earn a small cut at no cost to you. Disclosed up-front, doesn't shape the data.
Item 01 · Amazon UK
Brake pad measurement gauge
Testers fail pads under 1.5mm. A wear gauge tells you if you've got two months left or two weeks.
Search Amazon UK
Item 02 · Amazon UK
Digital tyre-tread depth gauge
Five quid for a gauge beats £150 for a retest. UK MOT minimum is 1.6mm — most testers fail anything below 2mm to be safe.
Search Amazon UK
Item 03 · Amazon UK
Headlight restoration kit
Yellowed lenses fail the light-output test. A restoration kit lifts the haze in an afternoon for £20.
Search Amazon UK
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Use the failure ranking as a pre-test checklist or a haggling lever. Treat the headline pass rate as a fleet-wide trend, not a guarantee on any individual car.
If you own an R1200 and your last MOT looked nothing like the ranked failures above, that's normal — individual cars vary widely. The ranking shows the patterns testers flag most often across the country.
