BMW R1200GS
Real ownership data from 3,765 UK R1200GS motorcycles — mileage, MOT pass rates and the faults that actually come up, taken from DVSA test records rather than opinion.
Most common R1200GS problems
Ranked by how often each fault appears in this model's MOT history.
| Fault | Severity | Share of faults |
|---|---|---|
| Tyres | dangerous | 18% |
| Brakes | dangerous | 11.1% |
| Lights and indicators | fail | 9% |
| Suspension | fail | 5.3% |
| Brake discs and pads | fail | 3.7% |
| Steering and head bearings | major | 3.2% |
| Other | major | 3.2% |
| Exhaust and emissions | fail | 2.1% |
Advisories (wear noted but not failed) are excluded above; the most common is fluid leaks.
R1200GS 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 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | 269 | 21,086 mi | 2,557 | 96.52% |
| 2017 | 332 | 20,904 mi | 1,900 | 96.56% |
| 2016 | 388 | 23,632 mi | 2,347 | 95.41% |
| 2015 | 265 | 24,722 mi | 2,245 | 94.24% |
| 2014 | 232 | 24,874 mi | 2,029 | 94.72% |
| 2013 | 356 | 27,247 mi | 2,089 | 95.51% |
| 2012 | 189 | 30,326 mi | 2,388 | 95.86% |
| 2011 | 323 | 34,916 mi | 1,657 | 97.14% |
| 2010 | 284 | 36,926 mi | 1,418 | 92.61% |
| 2009 | 298 | 32,370 mi | 1,498 | 94.14% |
| 2008 | 226 | 39,036 mi | 1,731 | 90.18% |
| 2007 | 176 | 31,264 mi | 932 | 90.78% |
| 2006 | 182 | 31,099 mi | 985 | 95.44% |
| 2005 | 134 | 41,564 mi | 1,464 | 91.44% |
| 2004 | 106 | 48,903 mi | 1,445 | 95.55% |
R1200GS questions, answered with data
What are the most common problems with the BMW R1200GS?
Across 3,765 UK examples, the most frequently recorded MOT faults are tyres (18% of all recorded faults), brakes (11.1% of all recorded faults), lights and indicators (9% of all recorded faults).
What is average mileage for a BMW R1200GS?
The median BMW R1200GS in the UK has covered 28,555 miles, and typically rides about 1,774 miles a year. Half of all examples fall between 19,583 and 42,773 miles.
Is the BMW R1200GS reliable?
94.3% of BMW R1200GS MOT tests are passed first time, with an average of 0.04 faults recorded per test. This is measured from DVSA MOT records, not owner opinion.
Based on DVSA MOT test records for 3,765 BMW R1200GS motorcycles registered in Great Britain and Northern Ireland. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.