HONDA CBF250

249cc Petrol Class 2

#2515 of 5426 overall #372 of 921 HONDAs #1579 of 2787 other bikes

84.9%

first-time pass rate

8.1%

failed outright

10,566

median miles at test

7,536

MOT tests, 2005–2025

Pass rate over time

first-time pass rate by test year · 2007–2025

The CBF250's first-time pass rate has fallen 2.1 points since 2007, 87.8% to 85.7%.

Pass rate by mileage

how the CBF250's first-time pass rate falls with the odometer · class average 84.9%

A low-mileage CBF250 passes first time 88.5% of the time; by 50k that's 80.3%.

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 CBF250

failure defects by component group · advisories excluded

Component group	Defects	% of defects	vs all bikes
brakes	232	19.9	0.6×
lighting and signalling	225	19.3	0.5×
steering and suspension	192	16.5	0.7×
drive system	168	14.4	2.2×
tyres and wheels	135	11.6	0.8×
lamps and reflectors	78	6.7	0.4×
suspension	41	3.5	0.6×
structure and attachments	35	3	0.6×
tyres	34	2.9	0.5×
steering	25	2.1	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 CBF250 beats 3 of its 4 closest rivals (YAMAHA YP250, YAMAHA WR250F, HONDA XR250).

YAMAHA YP250 82.5% pass · 12.4k tests YAMAHA WR250F 78.0% pass · 10.5k tests HONDA XR250 78.8% pass · 9,277 tests YAMAHA RD250 85.8% pass · 7,314 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 CBF250.

Pass rate by registration year

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

Best year to buy used: 2007 (88.0% pass). Weakest: 2005 (84.0%).

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 CBF250 FAQ

answers computed from the data above · terms in the glossary

Is the HONDA CBF250 reliable?

The HONDA CBF250 is about average for its class: 84.9% of its 7,536 MOT tests (2005–2025) passed first time, against a class average of 84.9%. That ranks it #2515 of 5426 models.

What does a CBF250 fail its MOT on most?

brakes — 20% of all defects recorded against failed CBF250 tests.

What is the best year of CBF250 to buy used?

By first-time pass rate, 2007-registered examples do best (88.0%) and 2005 worst (84.0%). Condition and history still trump the year.

How many miles will a CBF250 last?

The median CBF250 shows 10,566 miles at test, and examples around 50k miles still pass 80.3% of the time — mileage alone rarely kills one.