BMW R1250
Real ownership data from 8,603 UK R1250 motorcycles — mileage, MOT pass rates and the faults that actually come up, taken from DVSA test records rather than opinion.
Most common R1250 problems
Ranked by how often each fault appears in this model's MOT history.
| Fault | Severity | Share of faults |
|---|---|---|
| Controls and cables | major | 17.3% |
| Brake discs and pads | major | 13.1% |
| Electrical | major | 4.6% |
| Steering and head bearings | prs | 4.2% |
| Suspension | dangerous | 3.8% |
| Exhaust and emissions | major | 3.8% |
| Lights and indicators | dangerous | 2.5% |
| Frame and structure | major | 2.1% |
Advisories (wear noted but not failed) are excluded above; the most common is fluid leaks.
R1250 mileage and reliability by year
Use this to judge whether a specific bike is high or low mileage for its age.
| Year | Examples | Median mileage | Miles/year | First-time pass |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 44 | — | — | — |
| 2024 | 156 | 1,850 mi | — | 100% |
| 2023 | 193 | 5,754 mi | 961 | 99.17% |
| 2022 | 161 | 8,126 mi | 1,694 | 93.57% |
| 2021 | 388 | 12,801 mi | 2,533 | 96.69% |
| 2020 | 3,072 | 15,543 mi | 2,486 | 96.11% |
| 2019 | 4,207 | 17,268 mi | 2,440 | 95.69% |
| 2018 | 380 | 18,538 mi | 2,276 | 95.68% |
R1250 questions, answered with data
What are the most common problems with the BMW R1250?
Across 8,603 UK examples, the most frequently recorded MOT faults are controls and cables (17.3% of all recorded faults), brake discs and pads (13.1% of all recorded faults), electrical (4.6% of all recorded faults).
What is average mileage for a BMW R1250?
The median BMW R1250 in the UK has covered 16,106 miles, and typically rides about 2,440 miles a year. Half of all examples fall between 10,100 and 23,438 miles.
Is the BMW R1250 reliable?
95.86% of BMW R1250 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 8,603 BMW R1250 motorcycles registered in Great Britain and Northern Ireland. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.