Kawasaki ZR 900 Clfb vs BMW R1150

The Kawasaki ZR 900 Clfb passes its MOT first time more often than the BMW R1150: 95.8% vs 88.5%, a 7.3-point lead.

MOT reliability, side by side

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

Metric	Kawasaki ZR 900 Clfb	BMW R1150
First-time pass rate	95.8%	88.5%
Outright fail rate	1.3%	6.8%
Vs comparable bikes (age & mileage adjusted)	+6.3 pts	+6.7 pts
Engine size	948cc	1,130cc
Rank among all models	#32 of 5428	#1449 of 5428
Median miles at test	4,003	33,151
MOT tests analysed	694	170,963
Most common failure	tyres	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	Kawasaki ZR 900 Clfb	BMW R1150
Brakes	0%	2.9%
Lights & signalling	0.1%	2.4%
Tyres & wheels	0.6%	1.7%
Steering & suspension	0.1%	1.4%
Structure & body	0.3%	0.2%
Fuel & exhaust	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	Kawasaki ZR 900 Clfb	BMW R1150
2022	100.0%	88.6%
2023	95.5%	89.1%
2024	97.4%	88.1%
2025	94.0%	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	Kawasaki ZR 900 Clfb	BMW R1150
0k-10k miles	96.4%	92.9%
10k-20k miles	94.4%	92.1%

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

Kawasaki ZR 900 Clfb vs BMW R1150 FAQ

answers computed from the data above · terms in the glossary

Which is more reliable, the Kawasaki ZR 900 Clfb or the BMW R1150?

The Kawasaki ZR 900 Clfb passes its MOT first time more often than the BMW R1150: 95.8% vs 88.5%, a 7.3-point lead. Adjusted for age, mileage and test class the two are level (+6.3 vs +6.7 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 Kawasaki ZR 900 Clfb fail its MOT on most?

Tyres & wheels: 0.6% of Kawasaki ZR 900 Clfb MOT tests failed on it, then structure & body (0.3%).

What does the BMW R1150 fail its MOT on most?

Brakes: 2.9% of BMW R1150 MOT tests failed on it, then lights & signalling (2.4%).

KAWASAKI ZR 900 CLFB 95.8% pass · 694 tests BMW R1150 88.5% pass · 171k tests

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