HONDA CB550

544cc Petrol Class 2

#3181 of 5426 overall #527 of 921 HONDAs #143 of 205 naked bikes

82.0%

first-time pass rate

9.9%

failed outright

27,080

median miles at test

2,270

MOT tests, 2005–2025

Pass rate over time

first-time pass rate by test year · 2005–2020

The CB550's first-time pass rate has fallen 1.8 points since 2005, 85.7% to 83.9%.

Pass rate by mileage

how the CB550's first-time pass rate falls with the odometer · class average 84.9%

A low-mileage CB550 passes first time 83.7% of the time; by 50k that's 76.7%.

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 CB550

failure defects by component group · advisories excluded

Component group	Defects	% of defects	vs all bikes
lighting and signalling	145	28	1.0×
brakes	121	23.4	1.0×
steering and suspension	99	19.1	1.2×
tyres and wheels	54	10.4	1.0×
drive system	23	4.4	1.3×
fuel and exhaust	20	3.9	1.1×
lamps and reflectors	20	3.9	0.2×
reg plates and vin	17	3.3	1.2×
body and structure	11	2.1	0.8×
driving controls	8	1.5	1.5×

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 CB550 beats 1 of its 4 closest rivals (HONDA CB500, TRIUMPH STREET TRIPLE, HONDA CB600 HORNET).

HONDA CB500 83.3% pass · 105k tests TRIUMPH STREET TRIPLE 87.7% pass · 37.7k tests HONDA CB600 HORNET 78.6% pass · 26.4k tests TRIUMPH STREET TRIPLE R 87.7% pass · 20.6k 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 CB550.

Pass rate by registration year

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

Best year to buy used: 1974 (94.4% pass). Weakest: 1975 (72.7%).

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 CB550 FAQ

answers computed from the data above · terms in the glossary

Is the HONDA CB550 reliable?

The HONDA CB550 is less reliable than average for its class: 82.0% of its 2,270 MOT tests (2005–2025) passed first time, against a class average of 84.9%. That ranks it #3181 of 5426 models.

What does a CB550 fail its MOT on most?

lighting and signalling — 28% of all defects recorded against failed CB550 tests.

What is the best year of CB550 to buy used?

By first-time pass rate, 1974-registered examples do best (94.4%) and 1975 worst (72.7%). Condition and history still trump the year.

How many miles will a CB550 last?

The median CB550 shows 27,080 miles at test, and examples around 50k miles still pass 76.7% of the time — mileage alone rarely kills one.