1979 BMW R65 — MOT History by Age

How cars manufactured in 1979 perform at MOT as they age

47 years

Current Age

80.6%

Latest Pass Rate

495

Total Tests (All Years)

36,182 mi

Avg Mileage (Latest)

Data from official DVSA MOT testing records

Insufficient data for same-age comparison.

How This Car Ages

Pass rate progression for the 1979 BMW R65 as it ages.

30 yrs89.8%

→ ↓4.6%

31 yrs85.2%

→ ↑5.9%

32 yrs91.1%

→ ↑2.5%

33 yrs93.6%

→ ↓3.6%

34 yrs90.0%

→ ↓11.6%

35 yrs78.4%

→ ↑10.7%

36 yrs89.1%

→ ↓4.8%

37 yrs84.3%

→ ↑3.7%

38 yrs88.0%

→ ↓7.4%

39 yrs80.6%

📊 View as table

Age	Pass Rate	Tests
30 yrs	89.8%	59
31 yrs	85.2%	54
32 yrs	91.1%	56
33 yrs	93.6%	47
34 yrs	90.0%	50
35 yrs	78.4%	51
36 yrs	89.1%	46
37 yrs	84.3%	51
38 yrs	88.0%	50
39 yrs	80.6%	31

Pass Rate Trend

How the 1979 BMW R65 pass rate changes as it ages, from first MOT to most recent.

📊 View as table

Built	Pass Rate	Tests
2018 (39 yrs)	80.6%	31
2017 (38 yrs)	88%	50
2016 (37 yrs)	84.3%	51
2015 (36 yrs)	89.1%	46
2014 (35 yrs)	78.4%	51
2013 (34 yrs)	90%	50
2012 (33 yrs)	93.6%	47
2011 (32 yrs)	91.1%	56
2010 (31 yrs)	85.2%	54
2009 (30 yrs)	89.8%	59

Year-by-Year MOT Results

2009

89.8%

Age (yrs) 30Tests 59Avg Mileage 40,233Top Failure Motorcycle lighting and signalling — 6.8%

2010

85.2%

Age (yrs) 31Tests 54Avg Mileage 41,419Top Failure Motorcycle lighting and signalling — 9.3%

2011

91.1%

Age (yrs) 32Tests 56Avg Mileage 40,789Top Failure Motorcycle brakes — 5.4%

2012

93.6%

Age (yrs) 33Tests 47Avg Mileage 36,244Top Failure Motorcycle steering and suspension — 2.1%

2013

90.0%

Age (yrs) 34Tests 50Avg Mileage 41,836Top Failure Motorcycle fuel and exhaust — 6.0%

2014

78.4%

Age (yrs) 35Tests 51Avg Mileage 39,190Top Failure Motorcycle lighting and signalling — 15.7%

2015

89.1%

Age (yrs) 36Tests 46Avg Mileage 39,296Top Failure Motorcycle steering and suspension — 10.9%

2016

84.3%

Age (yrs) 37Tests 51Avg Mileage 42,471Top Failure Motorcycle steering and suspension — 13.7%

2017

88.0%

Age (yrs) 38Tests 50Avg Mileage 38,243Top Failure Motorcycle brakes — 10.0%

2018

80.6%

Age (yrs) 39Tests 31Avg Mileage 36,182Top Failure Motorcycle lamps and reflectors — 9.7%

MOT results for 1979 BMW R65 by test year
Test Year▲	Age (yrs)▲▼	Pass Rate▲▼	Tests▲▼	Avg Mileage▲▼	Top Failure▲▼
2009	30	89.8%	59	40,233	Motorcycle lighting and signalling — 6.8%
2010	31	85.2%	54	41,419	Motorcycle lighting and signalling — 9.3%
2011	32	91.1%	56	40,789	Motorcycle brakes — 5.4%
2012	33	93.6%	47	36,244	Motorcycle steering and suspension — 2.1%
2013	34	90.0%	50	41,836	Motorcycle fuel and exhaust — 6.0%
2014	35	78.4%	51	39,190	Motorcycle lighting and signalling — 15.7%
2015	36	89.1%	46	39,296	Motorcycle steering and suspension — 10.9%
2016	37	84.3%	51	42,471	Motorcycle steering and suspension — 13.7%
2017	38	88.0%	50	38,243	Motorcycle brakes — 10.0%
2018	39	80.6%	31	36,182	Motorcycle lamps and reflectors — 9.7%

Common MOT Failures

Top failure categories across all test years for 1979 BMW R65, with age trends.

Motorcycle lamps and reflectors

9.7%

— Consistent

Motorcycle steering and suspension

6.9%

— Consistent

Motorcycle lighting and signalling

6.5%

↓ Decreases with age

Motorcycle steering

6.5%

— Consistent

Motorcycle brakes

6.4%

↑ Increases with age

How Failures Change With Age

Comparing failure rates between the youngest and oldest test years.

Category	At Youngest	At Oldest	Change	Trend
Motorcycle lighting and signalling	6.8% (30 yrs)	3.2% (39 yrs)	-3.6%	🟢 ↓

Other Manufacture Years

1979 1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987

← Back to BMW R65 overview

Looking for the best year to buy? See the full comparison on the BMW R65 page →

About This Data

This page shows how BMW R65 cars manufactured in 1979 perform at MOT as they age. Data spans from 2009 to 2018, covering 495 tests. Pass rates naturally decline with age as components wear.

Based on DVSA anonymised MOT test data (2005–2024). Crown copyright, Open Government Licence v3.0.