Buell Firebolt XB9R vs BMW R1150

The BMW R1150 passes its MOT first time more often than the Buell Firebolt XB9R: 88.5% vs 86.5%, a 2.0-point lead.

MOT reliability, side by side

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

Metric	Buell Firebolt XB9R	BMW R1150
First-time pass rate	86.5%	88.5%
Outright fail rate	9.7%	6.8%
Vs comparable bikes (age & mileage adjusted)	-1.5 pts	+6.7 pts
Engine size	984cc	1,130cc
Rank among all models	#2052 of 5428	#1449 of 5428
Median miles at test	6,608	33,151
MOT tests analysed	259	170,963
Most common failure	lighting and signalling	brakes

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	Buell Firebolt XB9R	BMW R1150
2006	87.5%	91.8%
2007	88.5%	90.6%
2008	89.1%	89.3%
2009	78.8%	87.4%

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

Pass rate by mileage

first-time MOT pass rate by miles on the clock at test

Mileage	Buell Firebolt XB9R	BMW R1150
0k-10k miles	90.0%	92.9%
10k-20k miles	76.3%	92.1%

Bands with fewer than 30 tests for either bike are left out.

BUELL FIREBOLT XB9R 86.5% pass · 259 tests BMW R1150 88.5% pass · 171k tests

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