BMW F850
Real ownership data from 905 UK F850 motorcycles — mileage, MOT pass rates and the faults that actually come up, taken from DVSA test records rather than opinion.
Most common F850 problems
Ranked by how often each fault appears in this model's MOT history.
| Fault | Severity | Share of faults |
|---|---|---|
| Brakes | dangerous | 10.1% |
| Steering and head bearings | prs | 9.1% |
| Electrical | major | 6.1% |
| Wheels | major | 6.1% |
| Other | dangerous | 6.1% |
| Controls and cables | dangerous | 5.1% |
| Tyres | dangerous | 4% |
| Lights and indicators | minor | 4% |
Advisories (wear noted but not failed) are excluded above; the most common is electrical.
F850 mileage and reliability by year
Use this to judge whether a specific bike is high or low mileage for its age.
| YearYear | MedianMedian mileage | Mi/yrMiles/year | MOT passFirst-time pass | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 22 | 7,363 mi | 1,916 | 96.72% |
| 2020 | 217 | 10,020 mi | 1,536 | 95.3% |
| 2019 | 502 | 13,261 mi | 1,779 | 95.4% |
| 2018 | 162 | 13,276 mi | 1,747 | 92.48% |
F850 questions, answered with data
What are the most common problems with the BMW F850?
Across 905 UK examples, the most frequently recorded MOT faults are brakes (10.1% of all recorded faults), steering and head bearings (9.1% of all recorded faults), electrical (6.1% of all recorded faults).
What is average mileage for a BMW F850?
The median BMW F850 in the UK has covered 12,315 miles, and typically rides about 1,716 miles a year. Half of all examples fall between 7,925 and 18,730 miles.
Is the BMW F850 reliable?
94.77% of BMW F850 MOT tests are passed first time, with an average of 0.02 faults recorded per test. This is measured from DVSA MOT records, not owner opinion.
Based on DVSA MOT test records for 905 BMW F850 motorcycles registered in Great Britain and Northern Ireland. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.