Honda CTX vs BMW R1200

The Honda CTX passes its MOT first time more often than the BMW R1200: 95.8% vs 92.9%, a 2.9-point lead.

MOT reliability, side by side

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

Metric	Honda CTX	BMW R1200
First-time pass rate	95.8%	92.9%
Outright fail rate	2.5%	3.7%
Vs comparable bikes (age & mileage adjusted)	+8.9 pts	+8.6 pts
Engine size	1,261cc	1,170cc
Rank among all models	#32 of 5428	#315 of 5428
Median miles at test	10,304	20,069
MOT tests analysed	590	299,381
Most common failure	brakes	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.

What fails, side by side

share of each bike's MOT tests that failed on the component · lower is better

Component	Honda CTX	BMW R1200
Brakes	1.0%	1.5%
Tyres & wheels	1.2%	1.0%
Lights & signalling	0.2%	0.9%
Steering & suspension	0.2%	0.7%
Structure & body	0%	0.1%

A test that fails on two components counts once in each. Component links go to the bikes most likely to fail on it.

Pass rate by test year

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

Test year	Honda CTX	BMW R1200
2018	96.7%	93.0%
2019	98.4%	93.6%
2020	97.3%	94.0%
2021	97.6%	93.9%
2022	97.3%	93.8%
2023	90.8%	94.1%
2024	91.7%	94.0%
2025	97.0%	94.2%

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	Honda CTX	BMW R1200
0k-10k miles	97.5%	94.8%
10k-20k miles	94.9%	93.7%
20k-30k miles	91.5%	92.8%

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

Honda CTX vs BMW R1200 FAQ

answers computed from the data above · terms in the glossary

Which is more reliable, the Honda CTX or the BMW R1200?

The Honda CTX passes its MOT first time more often than the BMW R1200: 95.8% vs 92.9%, a 2.9-point lead. Adjusted for age, mileage and test class the two are level (+8.9 vs +8.6 points against comparable bikes), so the raw gap is mostly down to how old and how used each fleet is. An MOT checks roadworthiness items, not engine or gearbox internals.

What does the Honda CTX fail its MOT on most?

Tyres & wheels: 1.2% of Honda CTX MOT tests failed on it, then brakes (1.0%).

What does the BMW R1200 fail its MOT on most?

Brakes: 1.5% of BMW R1200 MOT tests failed on it, then tyres & wheels (1.0%).

Which holds up better at high mileage, the Honda CTX or the BMW R1200?

At 20k-30k miles the BMW R1200 passes first time more often: 91.5% for the Honda CTX vs 92.8% for the BMW R1200.

HONDA CTX 95.8% pass · 590 tests BMW R1200 92.9% pass · 299k tests

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