HONDA C 90 E

89cc Petrol Class 1

#4243 of 5426 overall #811 of 921 HONDAs #217 of 734 commuter bikes

75.5%

first-time pass rate

15.8%

failed outright

17,716

median miles at test

857

MOT tests, 2005–2025

Pass rate over time

first-time pass rate by test year · 2006–2017

The C 90 E's first-time pass rate has risen 2.4 points since 2006, 75.0% to 77.4%.

Pass rate by mileage

how the C 90 E's first-time pass rate falls with the odometer · class average 73.4%

A low-mileage C 90 E passes first time 84.3% of the time; by 40k that's 75.0%.

First-time pass rate by odometer reading at test, 10,000-mile bands for this model. Mileage is the strongest reliability signal. See the full curve.

What fails on a C 90 E

failure defects by component group · advisories excluded

Component group	Defects	% of defects	vs all bikes
steering and suspension	114	27.2	2.6×
lighting and signalling	114	27.2	1.9×
brakes	55	13.1	1.0×
tyres and wheels	54	12.9	2.4×
body and structure	25	6	5.1×
drive system	24	5.7	2.9×
fuel and exhaust	15	3.6	2.0×
structure and attachments	7	1.7	1.0×
lamps and reflectors	6	1.4	0.4×
driving controls	5	1.2	2.5×

Defects recorded against failed normal tests, 2005–2025, grouped by DVSA inspection section. One test can record multiple defects. "vs all bikes" is how often this model's tests record a defect in the group, as a multiple of the all-bike rate.

How rivals compare

same type, similar capacity, high test volume

On first-time pass rate the C 90 E beats 2 of its 4 closest rivals (HONDA C90, HONDA SCV100, YAMAHA XC).

HONDA C90 79.3% pass · 92.8k tests HONDA SCV100 70.7% pass · 31.3k tests YAMAHA XC 79.7% pass · 9,855 tests YAMAHA YQ100 64.7% pass · 7,747 tests

Rivals share this bike's type and sit within ±30% of its engine capacity, ≥ 5,000 tests. Card colour = better/worse first-time pass rate than the C 90 E.

Pass rate by registration year

how each model-year cohort fares · registration year from first use date

Best year to buy used: 1986 (78.2% pass). Weakest: 1984 (72.7%).

First-time pass rate by the year each bike was first registered (cohorts with ≥ 50 tests). Older cohorts are survivors: the worst examples have already left the road, which tends to lift the earliest years.

HONDA C 90 E FAQ

answers computed from the data above · terms in the glossary

Is the HONDA C 90 E reliable?

The HONDA C 90 E is more reliable than average for its class: 75.5% of its 857 MOT tests (2005–2025) passed first time, against a class average of 73.4%. That ranks it #4243 of 5426 models.

What does a C 90 E fail its MOT on most?

steering and suspension — 27% of all defects recorded against failed C 90 E tests.

What is the best year of C 90 E to buy used?

By first-time pass rate, 1986-registered examples do best (78.2%) and 1984 worst (72.7%). Condition and history still trump the year.

How many miles will a C 90 E last?

The median C 90 E shows 17,716 miles at test, and examples around 40k miles still pass 75.0% of the time — mileage alone rarely kills one.