HONDA CB750

748cc Petrol Class 2

#2984 of 5426 overall #486 of 921 HONDAs #138 of 205 naked bikes

82.9%

first-time pass rate

9.8%

failed outright

25,766

median miles at test

18.8k

MOT tests, 2005–2025

Pass rate over time

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

The CB750's first-time pass rate has risen 2.2 points since 2005, 83.3% to 85.5%.

Pass rate by mileage

how the CB750's first-time pass rate falls with the odometer · class average 84.9%

A low-mileage CB750 passes first time 84.4% of the time; by 50k that's 78.2%.

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 CB750

failure defects by component group · advisories excluded

Component group	Defects	% of defects	vs all bikes
brakes	1,116	27.1	1.0×
lighting and signalling	996	24.2	0.8×
steering and suspension	844	20.5	1.1×
tyres and wheels	349	8.5	0.8×
lamps and reflectors	224	5.4	0.5×
fuel and exhaust	165	4	1.1×
drive system	149	3.6	1.0×
suspension	96	2.3	0.5×
structure and attachments	96	2.3	0.6×
reg plates and vin	84	2	0.7×

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 CB750 beats 1 of its 4 closest rivals (TRIUMPH STREET TRIPLE, HONDA CB600 HORNET, TRIUMPH TRIDENT).

TRIUMPH STREET TRIPLE 87.7% pass · 37.7k tests HONDA CB600 HORNET 78.6% pass · 26.4k tests TRIUMPH TRIDENT 85.0% pass · 23.9k tests KAWASAKI Z1000 84.5% pass · 22.7k 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 CB750.

Pass rate by registration year

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

Best year to buy used: 1970 (92.1% pass). Weakest: 1983 (78.1%).

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 CB750 FAQ

answers computed from the data above · terms in the glossary

Is the HONDA CB750 reliable?

The HONDA CB750 is less reliable than average for its class: 82.9% of its 18,794 MOT tests (2005–2025) passed first time, against a class average of 84.9%. That ranks it #2984 of 5426 models.

What does a CB750 fail its MOT on most?

brakes — 27% of all defects recorded against failed CB750 tests.

What is the best year of CB750 to buy used?

By first-time pass rate, 1970-registered examples do best (92.1%) and 1983 worst (78.1%). Condition and history still trump the year.

How many miles will a CB750 last?

The median CB750 shows 25,766 miles at test, and examples around 50k miles still pass 78.2% of the time — mileage alone rarely kills one.