BIKERELIABILITY Reg check
League table/ YAMAHA/XJR1200
Model report · 2005–2025

YAMAHA XJR1200

1188cc Petrol Class 2
#3603 of 5428 overall #239 of 409 YAMAHAs #2296 of 2788 other bikes
79.9%
first-time pass rate
10.3%
failed outright
24,598
median miles at test
9,209
MOT tests, 2005–2025
-2.7pp
vs expected · age & mileage

The pass rate is the MOT first-time pass: a roadworthiness check of the items an MOT covers (brakes, lights, tyres, steering, structure, emissions), not a full mechanical inspection of engine or gearbox internals. It is a reliability signal, not a complete measure of mechanical reliability. What this measures.

“vs expected” adjusts for age, mileage and test class, so a cherished classic and a hard-used commuter are compared fairly. How this works.

Pass rate over time

first-time pass rate by test year · 2005–2025

The XJR1200's first-time pass rate has risen 8.8 points since 2005, 75.5% to 84.3%.

73%80%87%2005: 75.5% pass (106 tests)2006: 82.0% pass (687 tests)2007: 81.2% pass (648 tests)2008: 77.7% pass (631 tests)2009: 78.5% pass (624 tests)2010: 78.7% pass (588 tests)2011: 77.5% pass (582 tests)2012: 77.0% pass (544 tests)2013: 78.5% pass (525 tests)2014: 77.8% pass (504 tests)2015: 81.3% pass (498 tests)2016: 77.4% pass (464 tests)2017: 81.8% pass (434 tests)2018: 79.6% pass (318 tests)2019: 82.8% pass (331 tests)2020: 84.5% pass (252 tests)2021: 81.9% pass (353 tests)2022: 81.7% pass (328 tests)2023: 82.5% pass (315 tests)2024: 79.8% pass (228 tests)2025: 84.3% pass (249 tests)20052025

Pass rate by mileage

how the XJR1200's first-time pass rate falls with the odometer · class average 84.9%

A low-mileage XJR1200 passes first time 82.6% of the time; by 50k that's 74.9%.

73%79%84%0k: 82.6% pass (1,091 tests)10k: 82.1% pass (2,262 tests)20k: 79.1% pass (2,461 tests)30k: 79.0% pass (1,601 tests)40k: 78.6% pass (872 tests)50k: 74.9% pass (450 tests)0k30k50k

First-time pass rate by odometer reading at test, 10,000-mile bands for this model. Mileage is the strongest reliability signal. See the full curve.

What fails on a XJR1200

failure defects by component group · advisories excluded
Component group Share of defects Defects % of defects vs all bikes
brakes
523 25.4 1.0×
lighting and signalling
481 23.3 0.9×
steering and suspension
368 17.8 1.0×
tyres and wheels
226 11 1.0×
lamps and reflectors
148 7.2 0.7×
fuel and exhaust
73 3.5 0.8×
drive system
72 3.5 0.8×
suspension
66 3.2 0.8×
structure and attachments
55 2.7 0.7×
reg plates and vin
51 2.5 0.8×

Defects recorded against failed normal tests, 2005–2025, grouped by DVSA inspection section. One test can record multiple defects. "vs all bikes" is how often this model's tests record a defect in the group, as a multiple of the all-bike rate.

How rivals compare

same type, similar capacity, high test volume

On first-time pass rate the XJR1200 beats 0 of its 4 closest rivals (BMW R1200, BMW R1150, TRIUMPH SPRINT).

BMW R1200 92.9% pass · 299k tests Compare head-to-head →
BMW R1150 88.5% pass · 171k tests Compare head-to-head →
TRIUMPH SPRINT 85.6% pass · 133k tests Compare head-to-head →
SUZUKI GSF1200 82.4% pass · 97.6k tests Compare head-to-head →

Rivals share this bike's type and sit within ±30% of its engine capacity, ≥ 5,000 tests. Card colour = better/worse first-time pass rate than the XJR1200.

Compare with any bike

rival not listed above? pick any model to see it head-to-head with the XJR1200

More YAMAHA models

other YAMAHA bikes ranked by MOT pass rate
YAMAHA YZF-R1 84.1% pass · 232k tests
YAMAHA YZF-R6 79.0% pass · 155k tests
YAMAHA FZS600 82.6% pass · 137k tests
YAMAHA YBR 125 71.0% pass · 125k tests
YAMAHA XJR1300 87.4% pass · 95.1k tests
YAMAHA FZ6 85.2% pass · 67.1k tests

See all YAMAHA models →

Pass rate by registration year

how each model-year cohort fares · registration year from first use date

Best year to buy used: 2000 (86.8% pass). Weakest: 2001 (67.1%).

63%77%91%1994: 76.6% pass (856 tests)1995: 77.7% pass (1,669 tests)1996: 80.4% pass (1,725 tests)1997: 81.5% pass (2,166 tests)1998: 81.7% pass (1,878 tests)1999: 77.5% pass (440 tests)2000: 86.8% pass (68 tests)2001: 67.1% pass (73 tests)2002: 79.7% pass (74 tests)2003: 78.2% pass (55 tests)199419992003

First-time pass rate by the year each bike was first registered (cohorts with ≥ 50 tests). Older cohorts are survivors: the worst examples have already left the road, which tends to lift the earliest years.

YAMAHA XJR1200 FAQ

answers computed from the data above · terms in the glossary

Is the YAMAHA XJR1200 reliable?

The YAMAHA XJR1200 is less reliable than average for its class: 79.9% of its 9,209 MOT tests (2005–2025) passed first time, against a class average of 84.9%. That ranks it #3603 of 5428 models.

What does a XJR1200 fail its MOT on most?

brakes — 25% of all defects recorded against failed XJR1200 tests.

What is the best year of XJR1200 to buy used?

By first-time pass rate, 2000-registered examples do best (86.8%) and 2001 worst (67.1%). Condition and history still trump the year.

How many miles will a XJR1200 last?

The median XJR1200 shows 24,598 miles at test, and examples around 50k miles still pass 74.9% of the time — mileage alone rarely kills one.

Embed this bike

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