HONDA CBF500

499cc Petrol Class 2

#3440 of 5426 overall #597 of 921 HONDAs #2196 of 2787 other bikes

80.7%

first-time pass rate

10.7%

failed outright

21,648

median miles at test

16.8k

MOT tests, 2005–2025

Pass rate over time

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

The CBF500's first-time pass rate has fallen 6.4 points since 2007, 86.4% to 80.0%.

Pass rate by mileage

how the CBF500's first-time pass rate falls with the odometer · class average 84.9%

A low-mileage CBF500 passes first time 89.4% of the time; by 50k that's 75.6%.

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 CBF500

failure defects by component group · advisories excluded

Component group	Defects	% of defects	vs all bikes
brakes	970	27.1	1.0×
steering and suspension	731	20.4	1.1×
lighting and signalling	510	14.3	0.6×
tyres and wheels	306	8.6	0.8×
drive system	271	7.6	1.8×
lamps and reflectors	243	6.8	0.7×
suspension	185	5.2	1.3×
structure and attachments	167	4.7	1.1×
tyres	111	3.1	0.8×
steering	83	2.3	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 CBF500 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 CBF500.

Pass rate by registration year

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

Best year to buy used: 2008 (82.3% pass). Weakest: 2006 (80.2%).

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 CBF500 FAQ

answers computed from the data above · terms in the glossary

Is the HONDA CBF500 reliable?

The HONDA CBF500 is less reliable than average for its class: 80.7% of its 16,756 MOT tests (2005–2025) passed first time, against a class average of 84.9%. That ranks it #3440 of 5426 models.

What does a CBF500 fail its MOT on most?

brakes — 27% of all defects recorded against failed CBF500 tests.

What is the best year of CBF500 to buy used?

By first-time pass rate, 2008-registered examples do best (82.3%) and 2006 worst (80.2%). Condition and history still trump the year.

How many miles will a CBF500 last?

The median CBF500 shows 21,648 miles at test, and examples around 50k miles still pass 75.6% of the time — mileage alone rarely kills one.