HONDA CB450

447cc Petrol Class 2

#3845 of 5426 overall #716 of 921 HONDAs #178 of 205 naked bikes

78.5%

first-time pass rate

13.5%

failed outright

26,122

median miles at test

3,797

MOT tests, 2005–2025

Pass rate over time

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

The CB450's first-time pass rate has risen 14.9 points since 2005, 74.2% to 89.1%.

Pass rate by mileage

how the CB450's first-time pass rate falls with the odometer · class average 84.9%

A low-mileage CB450 passes first time 84.3% of the time; by 50k that's 67.0%.

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 CB450

failure defects by component group · advisories excluded

Component group	Defects	% of defects	vs all bikes
brakes	331	25.5	1.4×
steering and suspension	320	24.6	1.9×
lighting and signalling	252	19.4	1.2×
tyres and wheels	97	7.5	1.1×
drive system	80	6.2	2.1×
fuel and exhaust	59	4.5	1.9×
body and structure	52	4	2.4×
lamps and reflectors	48	3.7	0.4×
driving controls	34	2.6	3.8×
structure and attachments	26	2	0.9×

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 CB450 beats 1 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 CB450.

Pass rate by registration year

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

Best year to buy used: 1969 (96.2% pass). Weakest: 1993 (65.3%).

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 CB450 FAQ

answers computed from the data above · terms in the glossary

Is the HONDA CB450 reliable?

The HONDA CB450 is less reliable than average for its class: 78.5% of its 3,797 MOT tests (2005–2025) passed first time, against a class average of 84.9%. That ranks it #3845 of 5426 models.

What does a CB450 fail its MOT on most?

brakes — 25% of all defects recorded against failed CB450 tests.

What is the best year of CB450 to buy used?

By first-time pass rate, 1969-registered examples do best (96.2%) and 1993 worst (65.3%). Condition and history still trump the year.

How many miles will a CB450 last?

The median CB450 shows 26,122 miles at test, and examples around 50k miles still pass 67.0% of the time — mileage alone rarely kills one.