Victory High Ball vs BMW R1250

The BMW R1250 passes its MOT first time more often than the Victory High Ball: 95.8% vs 89.3%, a 6.5-point lead.

MOT reliability, side by side

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

Metric	Victory High Ball	BMW R1250
First-time pass rate	89.3%	95.8%
Outright fail rate	5.1%	2.1%
Vs comparable bikes (age & mileage adjusted)	+2.2 pts	+8.5 pts
Engine size	1,731cc	1,254cc
Rank among all models	#1180 of 5428	#32 of 5428
Median miles at test	9,152	11,082
MOT tests analysed	710	33,642
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.

What fails, side by side

share of each bike's MOT tests that failed on the component · lower is better

Component	Victory High Ball	BMW R1250
Lights & signalling	1.8%	0.3%
Tyres & wheels	1.5%	0.6%
Brakes	0.8%	1.0%
Steering & suspension	1.0%	0.2%
Structure & body	0.8%	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	Victory High Ball	BMW R1250
2021	89.4%	92.9%
2022	88.1%	95.1%
2023	89.3%	95.8%
2024	91.8%	95.8%
2025	86.5%	96.2%

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	Victory High Ball	BMW R1250
0k-10k miles	91.2%	96.6%
10k-20k miles	87.0%	95.6%
20k-30k miles	84.5%	94.6%

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

Victory High Ball vs BMW R1250 FAQ

answers computed from the data above · terms in the glossary

Which is more reliable, the Victory High Ball or the BMW R1250?

The BMW R1250 passes its MOT first time more often than the Victory High Ball: 95.8% vs 89.3%, a 6.5-point lead. Adjusted for age, mileage and test class, the BMW R1250 still comes out ahead: +2.2 points vs comparable bikes for the Victory High Ball, +8.5 for the BMW R1250. An MOT checks roadworthiness items, not engine or gearbox internals.

What does the Victory High Ball fail its MOT on most?

Lights & signalling: 1.8% of Victory High Ball MOT tests failed on it, then tyres & wheels (1.5%).

What does the BMW R1250 fail its MOT on most?

Brakes: 1.0% of BMW R1250 MOT tests failed on it, then tyres & wheels (0.6%).

Which holds up better at high mileage, the Victory High Ball or the BMW R1250?

At 20k-30k miles the BMW R1250 passes first time more often: 84.5% for the Victory High Ball vs 94.6% for the BMW R1250.

VICTORY HIGH BALL 89.3% pass · 710 tests BMW R1250 95.8% pass · 33.6k tests

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