HONDA CB 1000 RA-C

998cc Petrol Class 2

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

89.4%

first-time pass rate

6.3%

failed outright

11,741

median miles at test

527

MOT tests, 2005–2025

Pass rate over time

first-time pass rate by test year · 2015–2025

The CB 1000 RA-C's first-time pass rate has held steady since 2015 (91.2% → 90.2%).

Pass rate by mileage

how the CB 1000 RA-C's first-time pass rate falls with the odometer · class average 84.9%

A low-mileage CB 1000 RA-C passes first time 91.8% of the time; by 30k that's 77.4%.

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 1000 RA-C

failure defects by component group · advisories excluded

Component group	Defects	% of defects	vs all bikes
brakes	17	32.7	0.5×
lighting and signalling	12	23.1	0.4×
lamps and reflectors	7	13.5	0.8×
tyres	4	7.7	1.1×
reg plates and vin	3	5.8	0.3×
suspension	3	5.8	0.8×
Identification of the vehicle	2	3.8	1.6×
tyres and wheels	2	3.8	0.2×
wheels	1	1.9	3.2×
steering and suspension	1	1.9	0.1×

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 CB 1000 RA-C beats 3 of its 4 closest rivals (BMW R1200, BMW R1150, TRIUMPH SPRINT).

BMW R1200 92.9% pass · 299k tests BMW R1150 88.5% pass · 171k tests TRIUMPH SPRINT 85.6% pass · 133k tests SUZUKI GSF1200 82.4% pass · 97.6k 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 1000 RA-C.

Pass rate by registration year

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

Best year to buy used: 2012 (90.9% pass). Weakest: 2013 (87.8%).

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 1000 RA-C FAQ

answers computed from the data above · terms in the glossary

Is the HONDA CB 1000 RA-C reliable?

The HONDA CB 1000 RA-C is more reliable than average for its class: 89.4% of its 527 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 1000 RA-C fail its MOT on most?

brakes — 33% of all defects recorded against failed CB 1000 RA-C tests.

How many miles will a CB 1000 RA-C last?

The median CB 1000 RA-C shows 11,741 miles at test, and examples around 30k miles still pass 77.4% of the time — mileage alone rarely kills one.