HONDA C90M

85cc Petrol Class 1

#3997 of 5426 overall #760 of 921 HONDAs #167 of 734 commuter bikes

77.4%

first-time pass rate

14.5%

failed outright

16,613

median miles at test

974

MOT tests, 2005–2025

Pass rate over time

first-time pass rate by test year · 2005–2015

The C90M's first-time pass rate has risen 17.6 points since 2005, 69.1% to 86.7%.

Pass rate by mileage

how the C90M's first-time pass rate falls with the odometer · class average 73.4%

A low-mileage C90M passes first time 82.0% of the time; by 40k that's 65.6%.

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 C90M

failure defects by component group · advisories excluded

Component group	Defects	% of defects	vs all bikes
lighting and signalling	123	30.4	1.8×
steering and suspension	95	23.5	2.0×
tyres and wheels	72	17.8	3.1×
brakes	57	14.1	1.0×
drive system	24	5.9	2.8×
fuel and exhaust	10	2.5	0.8×
body and structure	9	2.2	1.9×
lamps and reflectors	8	2	0.3×
reg plates and vin	4	1	0.7×
wheels	3	0.7	5.1×

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 C90M beats 2 of its 4 closest rivals (HONDA C90, HONDA SCV100, YAMAHA YQ100).

HONDA C90 79.3% pass · 92.8k tests 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

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 C90M.

Pass rate by registration year

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

Best year to buy used: 2002 (83.9% pass). Weakest: 2001 (67.7%).

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 C90M FAQ

answers computed from the data above · terms in the glossary

Is the HONDA C90M reliable?

The HONDA C90M is more reliable than average for its class: 77.4% of its 974 MOT tests (2005–2025) passed first time, against a class average of 73.4%. That ranks it #3997 of 5426 models.

What does a C90M fail its MOT on most?

lighting and signalling — 30% of all defects recorded against failed C90M tests.

What is the best year of C90M to buy used?

By first-time pass rate, 2002-registered examples do best (83.9%) and 2001 worst (67.7%). Condition and history still trump the year.

How many miles will a C90M last?

The median C90M shows 16,613 miles at test, and examples around 40k miles still pass 65.6% of the time — mileage alone rarely kills one.