HONDA CB350

348cc Petrol Class 2

#4087 of 5426 overall #785 of 921 HONDAs #184 of 205 naked bikes

76.8%

first-time pass rate

14.6%

failed outright

31,592

median miles at test

2,795

MOT tests, 2005–2025

Pass rate over time

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

The CB350's first-time pass rate has risen 8.6 points since 2005, 68.3% to 76.9%.

Pass rate by mileage

how the CB350's first-time pass rate falls with the odometer · class average 84.9%

A low-mileage CB350 passes first time 78.6% of the time; by 50k that's 73.2%.

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 CB350

failure defects by component group · advisories excluded

Component group	Defects	% of defects	vs all bikes
brakes	254	24.4	1.4×
steering and suspension	244	23.5	1.9×
lighting and signalling	241	23.2	1.4×
tyres and wheels	93	9	1.4×
drive system	72	6.9	2.4×
fuel and exhaust	43	4.1	1.8×
body and structure	30	2.9	2.0×
driving controls	22	2.1	3.3×
lamps and reflectors	22	2.1	0.3×
reg plates and vin	18	1.7	0.7×

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 CB350 beats 1 of its 4 closest rivals (HONDA CB250, HONDA CB250 N, HONDA CB400).

HONDA CB250 79.9% pass · 17.3k tests HONDA CB250 N 76.2% pass · 9,530 tests HONDA CB400 80.9% pass · 9,072 tests HONDA CB400N 77.5% pass · 5,366 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 CB350.

Pass rate by registration year

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

Best year to buy used: 1972 (84.6% pass). Weakest: 1987 (73.0%).

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 CB350 FAQ

answers computed from the data above · terms in the glossary

Is the HONDA CB350 reliable?

The HONDA CB350 is less reliable than average for its class: 76.8% of its 2,795 MOT tests (2005–2025) passed first time, against a class average of 84.9%. That ranks it #4087 of 5426 models.

What does a CB350 fail its MOT on most?

brakes — 24% of all defects recorded against failed CB350 tests.

What is the best year of CB350 to buy used?

By first-time pass rate, 1972-registered examples do best (84.6%) and 1987 worst (73.0%). Condition and history still trump the year.

How many miles will a CB350 last?

The median CB350 shows 31,592 miles at test, and examples around 50k miles still pass 73.2% of the time — mileage alone rarely kills one.