HONDA CBF 500-4

499cc Petrol Class 2

#3073 of 5426 overall #502 of 921 HONDAs #1951 of 2787 other bikes

82.5%

first-time pass rate

10.0%

failed outright

21,312

median miles at test

229

MOT tests, 2005–2025

Pass rate by mileage

how the CBF 500-4's first-time pass rate falls with the odometer · class average 84.9%

A low-mileage CBF 500-4 passes first time 90.5% of the time; by 20k that's 83.1%.

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 CBF 500-4

failure defects by component group · advisories excluded

Component group	Defects	% of defects
steering and suspension	10	23.8
brakes	7	16.7
lamps and reflectors	6	14.3
lighting and signalling	5	11.9
structure and attachments	4	9.5
suspension	4	9.5
tyres	2	4.8
audible warning (Horn)	2	4.8
tyres and wheels	1	2.4
body and structure	1	2.4

Defects recorded against failed normal tests, 2005–2025, grouped by DVSA inspection section. One test can record multiple defects.

How rivals compare

same type, similar capacity, high test volume

On first-time pass rate the CBF 500-4 beats 3 of its 4 closest rivals (KAWASAKI ZX-6R, SUZUKI GSF600, YAMAHA FZS600).

KAWASAKI ZX-6R 78.1% pass · 174k tests SUZUKI GSF600 77.3% pass · 143k tests YAMAHA FZS600 82.6% pass · 137k tests SUZUKI SV650S 80.6% pass · 84.6k 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 CBF 500-4.

Pass rate by registration year

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

Best year to buy used: 2004 (83.4% pass). Weakest: 2005 (79.7%).

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.