HONDA CBF 500 A-6

499cc Petrol Class 2

#3291 of 5426 overall #561 of 921 HONDAs #2095 of 2787 other bikes

81.4%

first-time pass rate

10.1%

failed outright

22,138

median miles at test

4,560

MOT tests, 2005–2025

Pass rate over time

first-time pass rate by test year · 2009–2025

The CBF 500 A-6's first-time pass rate has risen 1.1 points since 2009, 85.1% to 86.2%.

Pass rate by mileage

how the CBF 500 A-6's first-time pass rate falls with the odometer · class average 84.9%

A low-mileage CBF 500 A-6 passes first time 90.8% of the time; by 50k that's 73.8%.

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 A-6

failure defects by component group · advisories excluded

Component group	Defects	% of defects	vs all bikes
brakes	240	26.9	0.9×
steering and suspension	165	18.5	1.0×
lighting and signalling	149	16.7	0.6×
tyres and wheels	76	8.5	0.8×
lamps and reflectors	73	8.2	0.8×
suspension	50	5.6	1.4×
structure and attachments	46	5.2	1.0×
drive system	40	4.5	1.1×
tyres	31	3.5	0.8×
steering	22	2.5	1.1×

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 CBF 500 A-6 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 A-6.

Pass rate by registration year

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

Best year to buy used: 2008 (83.3% pass). Weakest: 2006 (79.8%).

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 CBF 500 A-6 FAQ

answers computed from the data above · terms in the glossary

Is the HONDA CBF 500 A-6 reliable?

The HONDA CBF 500 A-6 is less reliable than average for its class: 81.4% of its 4,560 MOT tests (2005–2025) passed first time, against a class average of 84.9%. That ranks it #3291 of 5426 models.

What does a CBF 500 A-6 fail its MOT on most?

brakes — 27% of all defects recorded against failed CBF 500 A-6 tests.

What is the best year of CBF 500 A-6 to buy used?

By first-time pass rate, 2008-registered examples do best (83.3%) and 2006 worst (79.8%). Condition and history still trump the year.

How many miles will a CBF 500 A-6 last?

The median CBF 500 A-6 shows 22,138 miles at test, and examples around 50k miles still pass 73.8% of the time — mileage alone rarely kills one.