Buell XB12 XT Ulysses vs BMW R1150

The BMW R1150 passes its MOT first time more often than the Buell XB12 XT Ulysses: 88.5% vs 86.6%, a 1.9-point lead.

MOT reliability, side by side

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

Metric	Buell XB12 XT Ulysses	BMW R1150
First-time pass rate	86.6%	88.5%
Outright fail rate	6.9%	6.8%
Vs comparable bikes (age & mileage adjusted)	+1.1 pts	+6.7 pts
Engine size	1,203cc	1,130cc
Rank among all models	#2016 of 5428	#1449 of 5428
Median miles at test	14,366	33,151
MOT tests analysed	462	170,963
Most common failure	lamps and reflectors	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 XB12 XT Ulysses	BMW R1150
2012	84.1%	87.6%
2013	80.9%	87.1%
2014	90.5%	87.5%
2015	92.7%	88.0%
2016	92.1%	87.6%
2017	90.9%	88.2%
2021	80.6%	87.9%

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 XB12 XT Ulysses	BMW R1150
0k-10k miles	92.9%	92.9%
10k-20k miles	83.7%	92.1%
20k-30k miles	89.5%	90.1%
30k-40k miles	80.6%	88.6%

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

BUELL XB12 XT ULYSSES 86.6% pass · 462 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.