HONDA CB 650 RA-M

649cc Petrol Class 2

#680 of 5426 overall #76 of 921 HONDAs #414 of 2787 other bikes

91.0%

first-time pass rate

5.5%

failed outright

6,176

median miles at test

942

MOT tests, 2005–2025

Pass rate over time

first-time pass rate by test year · 2024–2025

The CB 650 RA-M's first-time pass rate has fallen 2.0 points since 2024, 92.0% to 90.0%.

Pass rate by mileage

how the CB 650 RA-M's first-time pass rate falls with the odometer · class average 84.9%

A low-mileage CB 650 RA-M passes first time 94.0% of the time; by 20k that's 78.7%.

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 650 RA-M

failure defects by component group · advisories excluded

Component group	Defects	% of defects	vs all bikes
brakes	28	32.2	0.6×
lamps and reflectors	23	26.4	1.3×
structure and attachments	13	14.9	1.5×
suspension	8	9.2	1.2×
tyres	8	9.2	1.2×
Identification of the vehicle	5	5.7	2.3×
steering	1	1.1	0.3×
wheels	1	1.1	1.8×

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 650 RA-M 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 650 RA-M.

Pass rate by registration year

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

Best year to buy used: 2021 (90.8% pass). Weakest: 2021 (90.8%).

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 650 RA-M FAQ

answers computed from the data above · terms in the glossary

Is the HONDA CB 650 RA-M reliable?

The HONDA CB 650 RA-M is more reliable than average for its class: 91.0% of its 942 MOT tests (2005–2025) passed first time, against a class average of 84.9%. That ranks it #680 of 5426 models.

What does a CB 650 RA-M fail its MOT on most?

brakes — 32% of all defects recorded against failed CB 650 RA-M tests.

How many miles will a CB 650 RA-M last?

The median CB 650 RA-M shows 6,176 miles at test, and examples around 20k miles still pass 78.7% of the time — mileage alone rarely kills one.