Zero Motorcycles Sr/f ZF14.4 vs BMW R1150

The BMW R1150 passes its MOT first time more often than the Zero Motorcycles Sr/f ZF14.4: 88.5% vs 87.5%, a 1.0-point lead.

MOT reliability, side by side

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

Metric	Zero Motorcycles Sr/f ZF14.4	BMW R1150
First-time pass rate	87.5%	88.5%
Outright fail rate	9.4%	6.8%
Vs comparable bikes (age & mileage adjusted)	-0.7 pts	+6.7 pts
Engine size	n/a	1,130cc
Median miles at test	5,404	33,151
MOT tests analysed	128	170,963
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	Zero Motorcycles Sr/f ZF14.4	BMW R1150
2023	90.6%	89.1%
2024	84.6%	88.1%
2025	86.7%	89.1%

Each year mixes bikes of different ages, so a fleet that is getting older tends to slip.

ZERO MOTORCYCLES SR/F ZF14.4 87.5% pass · 128 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.