HONDA CB400/4

408cc Petrol Class 2

#2543 of 5426 overall #380 of 921 HONDAs #117 of 205 naked bikes

84.8%

first-time pass rate

6.9%

failed outright

28,880

median miles at test

1,426

MOT tests, 2005–2025

Pass rate over time

first-time pass rate by test year · 2006–2018

The CB400/4's first-time pass rate has fallen 4.1 points since 2006, 81.7% to 77.6%.

Pass rate by mileage

how the CB400/4's first-time pass rate falls with the odometer · class average 84.9%

A low-mileage CB400/4 passes first time 86.0% of the time; by 50k that's 76.5%.

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 CB400/4

failure defects by component group · advisories excluded

Component group	Defects	% of defects	vs all bikes
steering and suspension	59	28.2	0.9×
lighting and signalling	47	22.5	0.6×
brakes	45	21.5	0.6×
tyres and wheels	20	9.6	0.6×
fuel and exhaust	10	4.8	0.7×
body and structure	9	4.3	1.2×
drive system	9	4.3	0.8×
reg plates and vin	4	1.9	0.5×
lamps and reflectors	4	1.9	0.2×
structure and attachments	2	1	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 CB400/4 beats 3 of its 3 closest rivals (HONDA CB500, HONDA CB400, HONDA CB400N).

HONDA CB500 83.3% pass · 105k 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 CB400/4.

Pass rate by registration year

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

Best year to buy used: 1979 (89.1% pass). Weakest: 1975 (82.3%).

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 CB400/4 FAQ

answers computed from the data above · terms in the glossary

Is the HONDA CB400/4 reliable?

The HONDA CB400/4 is about average for its class: 84.8% of its 1,426 MOT tests (2005–2025) passed first time, against a class average of 84.9%. That ranks it #2543 of 5426 models.

What does a CB400/4 fail its MOT on most?

steering and suspension — 28% of all defects recorded against failed CB400/4 tests.

What is the best year of CB400/4 to buy used?

By first-time pass rate, 1979-registered examples do best (89.1%) and 1975 worst (82.3%). Condition and history still trump the year.

How many miles will a CB400/4 last?

The median CB400/4 shows 28,880 miles at test, and examples around 50k miles still pass 76.5% of the time — mileage alone rarely kills one.