BMW R 18 vs Suzuki GSX1400

The BMW R 18 passes its MOT first time more often than the Suzuki GSX1400: 95.8% vs 88.3%, a 7.5-point lead.

MOT reliability, side by side

first-time pass rate, outright fail rate and tests analysed · 2005–2025

Metric	BMW R 18	Suzuki GSX1400
First-time pass rate	95.8%	88.3%
Outright fail rate	0.9%	5.5%
Vs comparable bikes (age & mileage adjusted)	+5.7 pts	+3.5 pts
Engine size	1,802cc	1,402cc
Rank among all models	#32 of 5428	#1505 of 5428
Median miles at test	2,908	15,787
MOT tests analysed	456	56,777
Most common failure	Identification of the vehicle	lighting and signalling

First-time outcomes on normal tests, 2005–2025. "Most common failure" is the component group with the most recorded defects on failed tests. Read pass rates against test counts: a smaller sample is noisier. Source: DVSA anonymised MOT results.

"Vs comparable bikes" is the first-time pass rate minus the rate expected for each bike's own mix of age, mileage and test class, in percentage points: positive means better than comparable bikes. How this works.

Pass rate by test year

first-time MOT pass rate in each calendar year both bikes were tested

Test year	BMW R 18	Suzuki GSX1400
2023	92.2%	91.2%
2024	97.0%	92.0%
2025	96.2%	91.6%

Each year mixes bikes of different ages, so a fleet that is getting older tends to slip.

BMW R 18 95.8% pass · 456 tests SUZUKI GSX1400 88.3% pass · 56.8k tests

See each bike's full report (trend, mileage curve, failure breakdown and rivals) on its own page.