HONDA C90

85cc Petrol Class 1

#3719 of 5426 overall #670 of 921 HONDAs #113 of 734 commuter bikes

HONDA C90 — Photo: Rikita · CC BY-SA 4.0

79.3%

first-time pass rate

12.6%

failed outright

17,744

median miles at test

92.8k

MOT tests, 2005–2025

Pass rate over time

first-time pass rate by test year · 2005–2025

The C90's first-time pass rate has risen 10.8 points since 2005, 77.6% to 88.4%.

Pass rate by mileage

how the C90's first-time pass rate falls with the odometer · class average 73.4%

A low-mileage C90 passes first time 85.7% of the time; by 50k that's 71.2%.

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 C90

failure defects by component group · advisories excluded

Component group	Defects	% of defects	vs all bikes
lighting and signalling	10,072	31.2	1.5×
steering and suspension	6,579	20.4	1.6×
tyres and wheels	4,941	15.3	2.1×
brakes	4,869	15.1	0.9×
drive system	1,670	5.2	2.0×
body and structure	1,404	4.4	2.6×
lamps and reflectors	1,155	3.6	0.4×
fuel and exhaust	820	2.5	1.1×
structure and attachments	391	1.2	0.5×
suspension	362	1.1	0.4×

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 C90 beats 3 of its 4 closest rivals (HONDA SCV100, YAMAHA YQ100, HONDA NHX 110 WH-8).

HONDA SCV100 70.7% pass · 31.3k tests YAMAHA YQ100 64.7% pass · 7,747 tests HONDA NHX 110 WH-8 80.4% pass · 7,740 tests YAMAHA RXS100 68.0% pass · 6,955 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 C90.

Pass rate by registration year

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

Best year to buy used: 1969 (89.1% pass). Weakest: 1972 (75.0%).

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 C90 FAQ

answers computed from the data above · terms in the glossary

Is the HONDA C90 reliable?

The HONDA C90 is more reliable than average for its class: 79.3% of its 92,772 MOT tests (2005–2025) passed first time, against a class average of 73.4%. That ranks it #3719 of 5426 models.

What does a C90 fail its MOT on most?

lighting and signalling — 31% of all defects recorded against failed C90 tests.

What is the best year of C90 to buy used?

By first-time pass rate, 1969-registered examples do best (89.1%) and 1972 worst (75.0%). Condition and history still trump the year.

How many miles will a C90 last?

The median C90 shows 17,744 miles at test, and examples around 50k miles still pass 71.2% of the time — mileage alone rarely kills one.