HONDA CB 600 FA-3-A

599cc Petrol Class 2

#1448 of 5426 overall #174 of 921 HONDAs #881 of 2787 other bikes

88.5%

first-time pass rate

5.9%

failed outright

13,966

median miles at test

574

MOT tests, 2005–2025

Pass rate over time

first-time pass rate by test year · 2014–2025

The CB 600 FA-3-A's first-time pass rate has fallen 1.5 points since 2014, 92.0% to 90.5%.

Pass rate by mileage

how the CB 600 FA-3-A's first-time pass rate falls with the odometer · class average 84.9%

A low-mileage CB 600 FA-3-A passes first time 91.5% of the time; by 30k that's 78.0%.

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 CB 600 FA-3-A

failure defects by component group · advisories excluded

Component group	Defects	% of defects	vs all bikes
brakes	15	31.2	0.6×
lamps and reflectors	9	18.8	0.6×
tyres	7	14.6	1.3×
lighting and signalling	5	10.4	0.2×
steering and suspension	4	8.3	0.2×
tyres and wheels	3	6.2	0.3×
structure and attachments	2	4.2	0.5×
wheels	1	2.1	2.9×
steering	1	2.1	0.4×
suspension	1	2.1	0.2×

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 600 FA-3-A 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 SUZUKI SV650S 80.6% pass · 84.6k 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 600 FA-3-A.

Pass rate by registration year

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

Best year to buy used: 2012 (96.8% pass). Weakest: 2011 (84.9%).

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 600 FA-3-A FAQ

answers computed from the data above · terms in the glossary

Is the HONDA CB 600 FA-3-A reliable?

The HONDA CB 600 FA-3-A is more reliable than average for its class: 88.5% of its 574 MOT tests (2005–2025) passed first time, against a class average of 84.9%. That ranks it #1448 of 5426 models.

What does a CB 600 FA-3-A fail its MOT on most?

brakes — 31% of all defects recorded against failed CB 600 FA-3-A tests.

What is the best year of CB 600 FA-3-A to buy used?

By first-time pass rate, 2012-registered examples do best (96.8%) and 2011 worst (84.9%). Condition and history still trump the year.

How many miles will a CB 600 FA-3-A last?

The median CB 600 FA-3-A shows 13,966 miles at test, and examples around 30k miles still pass 78.0% of the time — mileage alone rarely kills one.