HONDA CB

649cc Petrol Class 2

#1145 of 5426 overall #132 of 921 HONDAs #697 of 2787 other bikes

HONDA CB — Photo: Jiří Sedláček · CC BY-SA 4.0

89.4%

first-time pass rate

5.7%

failed outright

9,204

median miles at test

31.0k

MOT tests, 2005–2025

Pass rate over time

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

The CB's first-time pass rate has risen 10.5 points since 2005, 79.7% to 90.2%.

Pass rate by mileage

how the CB's first-time pass rate falls with the odometer · class average 84.9%

A low-mileage CB passes first time 93.3% of the time; by 50k that's 75.8%.

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 CB

failure defects by component group · advisories excluded

Component group	Defects	% of defects	vs all bikes
brakes	729	22.2	0.4×
lamps and reflectors	582	17.8	0.9×
lighting and signalling	389	11.9	0.2×
steering and suspension	318	9.7	0.2×
suspension	288	8.8	1.1×
structure and attachments	282	8.6	1.1×
tyres	278	8.5	1.2×
tyres and wheels	154	4.7	0.2×
steering	141	4.3	1.0×
Identification of the vehicle	117	3.6	1.6×

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 CB beats 4 of its 4 closest rivals (KAWASAKI ZX-6R, SUZUKI GSF600, YAMAHA FZS600).

KAWASAKI ZX-6R 78.1% pass · 174k tests SUZUKI GSF600 77.3% pass · 143k tests YAMAHA FZS600 82.6% pass · 137k tests HONDA VFR800 FI 86.7% pass · 89.4k 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 CB.

Pass rate by registration year

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

Best year to buy used: 2017 (92.9% pass). Weakest: 1993 (67.1%).

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 CB FAQ

answers computed from the data above · terms in the glossary

Is the HONDA CB reliable?

The HONDA CB is more reliable than average for its class: 89.4% of its 30,955 MOT tests (2005–2025) passed first time, against a class average of 84.9%. That ranks it #1145 of 5426 models.

What does a CB fail its MOT on most?

brakes — 22% of all defects recorded against failed CB tests.

What is the best year of CB to buy used?

By first-time pass rate, 2017-registered examples do best (92.9%) and 1993 worst (67.1%). Condition and history still trump the year.

How many miles will a CB last?

The median CB shows 9,204 miles at test, and examples around 50k miles still pass 75.8% of the time — mileage alone rarely kills one.