HONDA CB550F

544cc Petrol Class 2

#3647 of 5426 overall #659 of 921 HONDAs #173 of 205 naked bikes

79.7%

first-time pass rate

9.6%

failed outright

29,412

median miles at test

636

MOT tests, 2005–2025

Pass rate over time

first-time pass rate by test year · 2006–2017

The CB550F's first-time pass rate has fallen 17.0 points since 2006, 86.2% to 69.2%.

Pass rate by mileage

how the CB550F's first-time pass rate falls with the odometer · class average 84.9%

A low-mileage CB550F passes first time 75.6% of the time; by 50k that's 86.0%.

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 CB550F

failure defects by component group · advisories excluded

Component group	Defects	% of defects	vs all bikes
lighting and signalling	48	28.9	1.2×
steering and suspension	44	26.5	1.2×
brakes	29	17.5	0.8×
fuel and exhaust	9	5.4	1.7×
drive system	8	4.8	1.5×
reg plates and vin	8	4.8	2.2×
lamps and reflectors	7	4.2	0.3×
tyres and wheels	6	3.6	0.5×
driving controls	4	2.4	2.7×
body and structure	3	1.8	1.0×

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 CB550F 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 CB550F.

Pass rate by registration year

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

Best year to buy used: 1978 (84.1% pass). Weakest: 1977 (77.9%).

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 CB550F FAQ

answers computed from the data above · terms in the glossary

Is the HONDA CB550F reliable?

The HONDA CB550F is less reliable than average for its class: 79.7% of its 636 MOT tests (2005–2025) passed first time, against a class average of 84.9%. That ranks it #3647 of 5426 models.

What does a CB550F fail its MOT on most?

lighting and signalling — 29% of all defects recorded against failed CB550F tests.

What is the best year of CB550F to buy used?

By first-time pass rate, 1978-registered examples do best (84.1%) and 1977 worst (77.9%). Condition and history still trump the year.

How many miles will a CB550F last?

The median CB550F shows 29,412 miles at test, and examples around 50k miles still pass 86.0% of the time — mileage alone rarely kills one.