Honda GL1200DE vs BMW R1200

The BMW R1200 passes its MOT first time more often than the Honda GL1200DE: 92.9% vs 81.2%, a 11.7-point lead.

MOT reliability, side by side

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

Metric	Honda GL1200DE	BMW R1200
First-time pass rate	81.2%	92.9%
Outright fail rate	13.2%	3.7%
Vs comparable bikes (age & mileage adjusted)	0.0 pts	+8.6 pts
Engine size	1,198cc	1,170cc
Rank among all models	#3336 of 5428	#315 of 5428
Median miles at test	56,155	20,069
MOT tests analysed	494	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 test year

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

Test year	Honda GL1200DE	BMW R1200
2006	78.8%	90.3%
2007	85.7%	92.2%
2008	85.7%	90.8%
2009	68.3%	90.0%
2010	82.9%	89.8%
2011	78.8%	90.5%
2012	84.4%	90.5%
2013	75.8%	91.1%

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 GL1200DE	BMW R1200
30k-40k miles	94.0%	91.9%
40k-50k miles	87.6%	90.8%
50k-60k miles	77.4%	89.5%

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

HONDA GL1200DE 81.2% pass · 494 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.