HONDA CB500

499cc Petrol Class 2

#2893 of 5426 overall #459 of 921 HONDAs #133 of 205 naked bikes

HONDA CB500 — Photo: Asurnipal · CC BY-SA 4.0

83.3%

first-time pass rate

10.1%

failed outright

20,653

median miles at test

105k

MOT tests, 2005–2025

Pass rate over time

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

The CB500's first-time pass rate has risen 8.9 points since 2005, 81.4% to 90.3%.

Pass rate by mileage

how the CB500's first-time pass rate falls with the odometer · class average 84.9%

A low-mileage CB500 passes first time 92.5% of the time; by 50k that's 74.6%.

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 CB500

failure defects by component group · advisories excluded

Component group	Defects	% of defects	vs all bikes
brakes	5,975	26.7	1.0×
steering and suspension	4,906	21.9	1.1×
lighting and signalling	3,975	17.8	0.7×
tyres and wheels	1,976	8.8	0.8×
drive system	1,347	6	1.4×
lamps and reflectors	1,138	5.1	0.5×
suspension	905	4	1.0×
structure and attachments	855	3.8	0.9×
tyres	757	3.4	0.9×
body and structure	535	2.4	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 CB500 beats 4 of its 4 closest rivals (HONDA CB600 HORNET, HONDA CB600FS, HONDA CB600SF).

HONDA CB600 HORNET 78.6% pass · 26.4k tests HONDA CB600FS 81.8% pass · 20.3k tests HONDA CB600SF 82.0% pass · 11.7k tests HONDA CB600 81.4% pass · 10.8k 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 CB500.

Pass rate by registration year

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

Best year to buy used: 2022 (95.1% pass). Weakest: 1974 (74.1%).

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 CB500 FAQ

answers computed from the data above · terms in the glossary

Is the HONDA CB500 reliable?

The HONDA CB500 is about average for its class: 83.3% of its 104,748 MOT tests (2005–2025) passed first time, against a class average of 84.9%. That ranks it #2893 of 5426 models.

What does a CB500 fail its MOT on most?

brakes — 27% of all defects recorded against failed CB500 tests.

What is the best year of CB500 to buy used?

By first-time pass rate, 2022-registered examples do best (95.1%) and 1974 worst (74.1%). Condition and history still trump the year.

How many miles will a CB500 last?

The median CB500 shows 20,653 miles at test, and examples around 50k miles still pass 74.6% of the time — mileage alone rarely kills one.