Honda GL 1800 BD-L vs Yamaha FJR1300A

The Honda GL 1800 BD-L passes its MOT first time more often than the Yamaha FJR1300A: 99.1% vs 90.2%, a 8.9-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	Yamaha FJR1300A
First-time pass rate	99.1%	90.2%
Outright fail rate	0.9%	6.0%
Vs comparable bikes (age & mileage adjusted)	+10.7 pts	+7.0 pts
Engine size	1,833cc	1,298cc
Median miles at test	8,477	25,551
MOT tests analysed	107	27,867
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	Yamaha FJR1300A
2023	100.0%	89.4%
2024	96.7%	89.3%
2025	100.0%	89.6%

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	Yamaha FJR1300A
0k-10k miles	100.0%	93.7%
10k-20k miles	97.2%	92.4%

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

HONDA GL 1800 BD-L 99.1% pass · 107 tests YAMAHA FJR1300A 90.2% pass · 27.9k tests

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