Buell XB12 XT Ulysses vs Suzuki GSF1200

The Buell XB12 XT Ulysses passes its MOT first time more often than the Suzuki GSF1200: 86.6% vs 82.4%, a 4.2-point lead.

MOT reliability, side by side

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

Metric	Buell XB12 XT Ulysses	Suzuki GSF1200
First-time pass rate	86.6%	82.4%
Outright fail rate	6.9%	8.9%
Vs comparable bikes (age & mileage adjusted)	+1.1 pts	-1.2 pts
Engine size	1,203cc	1,157cc
Rank among all models	#2016 of 5428	#3108 of 5428
Median miles at test	14,366	20,274
MOT tests analysed	462	97,637
Most common failure	lamps and reflectors	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	Buell XB12 XT Ulysses	Suzuki GSF1200
2012	84.1%	80.7%
2013	80.9%	80.2%
2014	90.5%	81.0%
2015	92.7%	81.9%
2016	92.1%	82.2%
2017	90.9%	82.9%
2021	80.6%	82.9%

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	Suzuki GSF1200
0k-10k miles	92.9%	87.7%
10k-20k miles	83.7%	83.8%
20k-30k miles	89.5%	81.1%
30k-40k miles	80.6%	78.5%

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

BUELL XB12 XT ULYSSES 86.6% pass · 462 tests SUZUKI GSF1200 82.4% pass · 97.6k tests

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