Honda GL 1800 BD-L vs Suzuki GSX1300R

The Honda GL 1800 BD-L passes its MOT first time more often than the Suzuki GSX1300R: 99.1% vs 86.3%, a 12.8-point lead.

MOT reliability, side by side

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

Metric	Honda GL 1800 BD-L	Suzuki GSX1300R
First-time pass rate	99.1%	86.3%
Outright fail rate	0.9%	8.7%
Vs comparable bikes (age & mileage adjusted)	+10.7 pts	+2.2 pts
Engine size	1,833cc	1,299cc
Median miles at test	8,477	18,876
MOT tests analysed	107	48,351
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	Honda GL 1800 BD-L	Suzuki GSX1300R
2023	100.0%	89.8%
2024	96.7%	89.0%
2025	100.0%	89.1%

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 GL 1800 BD-L	Suzuki GSX1300R
0k-10k miles	100.0%	91.0%
10k-20k miles	97.2%	87.3%

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

HONDA GL 1800 BD-L 99.1% pass · 107 tests SUZUKI GSX1300R 86.3% pass · 48.4k tests

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