BMW R850
Real ownership data from 1,479 UK R850 motorcycles — mileage, MOT pass rates and the faults that actually come up, taken from DVSA test records rather than opinion.
Most common R850 problems
Ranked by how often each fault appears in this model's MOT history.
| Fault | Severity | Share of faults |
|---|---|---|
| Controls and cables | dangerous | 12.9% |
| Steering and head bearings | prs | 7.9% |
| Frame and structure | dangerous | 6.2% |
| Exhaust and emissions | fail | 5% |
| Lights and indicators | major | 4.2% |
| Electrical | minor | 3.8% |
| Fluid leaks | major | 3.3% |
| Tyres | major | 2.9% |
Advisories (wear noted but not failed) are excluded above; the most common is fork seals.
R850 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 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006 | 6 | 23,072 mi | 1,677 | 90.32% |
| 2005 | 56 | 31,827 mi | 1,586 | 91.43% |
| 2004 | 119 | 29,731 mi | 1,439 | 88.51% |
| 2003 | 150 | 32,544 mi | 1,596 | 88.97% |
| 2002 | 124 | 35,166 mi | 1,464 | 87.4% |
| 2001 | 184 | 33,812 mi | 1,290 | 88.24% |
| 2000 | 268 | 41,474 mi | 1,296 | 87.25% |
| 1999 | 131 | 38,516 mi | 1,220 | 86.14% |
| 1998 | 112 | 37,666 mi | 1,024 | 84.83% |
| 1997 | 134 | 47,584 mi | 1,372 | 84.34% |
| 1996 | 124 | 42,768 mi | 1,176 | 83.15% |
| 1995 | 64 | 46,445 mi | 1,116 | 83.49% |
R850 questions, answered with data
What are the most common problems with the BMW R850?
Across 1,479 UK examples, the most frequently recorded MOT faults are controls and cables (12.9% of all recorded faults), steering and head bearings (7.9% of all recorded faults), frame and structure (6.2% of all recorded faults).
What is average mileage for a BMW R850?
The median BMW R850 in the UK has covered 37,363 miles, and typically rides about 1,326 miles a year. Half of all examples fall between 23,238 and 53,978 miles.
Is the BMW R850 reliable?
86.86% of BMW R850 MOT tests are passed first time, with an average of 0.01 faults recorded per test. This is measured from DVSA MOT records, not owner opinion.
Based on DVSA MOT test records for 1,479 BMW R850 motorcycles registered in Great Britain and Northern Ireland. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.