Honda GL1200AG vs BMW R1200

The BMW R1200 passes its MOT first time more often than the Honda GL1200AG: 92.9% vs 83.0%, a 9.9-point lead.

MOT reliability, side by side

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

Metric	Honda GL1200AG	BMW R1200
First-time pass rate	83.0%	92.9%
Outright fail rate	13.7%	3.7%
Vs comparable bikes (age & mileage adjusted)	+1.8 pts	+8.6 pts
Engine size	1,198cc	1,170cc
Rank among all models	#2962 of 5428	#315 of 5428
Median miles at test	53,634	20,069
MOT tests analysed	277	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.

Pass rate by mileage

first-time MOT pass rate by miles on the clock at test

Mileage	Honda GL1200AG	BMW R1200
20k-30k miles	88.6%	92.8%
30k-40k miles	87.1%	91.9%
40k-50k miles	80.0%	90.8%
50k-60k miles	78.3%	89.5%

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

HONDA GL1200AG 83.0% pass · 277 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.