HONDA CBR

599cc Petrol Class 2

#2820 of 5426 overall #438 of 921 HONDAs #136 of 226 sport bikes

83.7%

first-time pass rate

9.9%

failed outright

12,042

median miles at test

77.1k

MOT tests, 2005–2025

Pass rate over time

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

The CBR's first-time pass rate has risen 7.9 points since 2005, 76.6% to 84.5%.

Pass rate by mileage

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

A low-mileage CBR passes first time 89.8% of the time; by 50k that's 74.8%.

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 CBR

failure defects by component group · advisories excluded

Component group	Defects	% of defects	vs all bikes
brakes	3,673	23.4	0.8×
lamps and reflectors	2,694	17.1	1.6×
structure and attachments	1,857	11.8	2.7×
lighting and signalling	1,452	9.2	0.3×
suspension	1,280	8.1	2.0×
steering and suspension	1,261	8	0.4×
tyres	1,202	7.6	2.0×
steering	1,158	7.4	3.0×
tyres and wheels	741	4.7	0.4×
drive system	408	2.6	0.6×

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 CBR beats 4 of its 4 closest rivals (HONDA CBR600F, YAMAHA YZF-R6, SUZUKI GSXR600).

HONDA CBR600F 81.7% pass · 202k tests YAMAHA YZF-R6 79.0% pass · 155k tests SUZUKI GSXR600 76.7% pass · 149k tests SUZUKI GSXR750 79.8% pass · 99.2k 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 CBR.

Pass rate by registration year

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

Best year to buy used: 2019 (91.6% pass). Weakest: 1988 (64.7%).

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.

HONDA CBR FAQ

answers computed from the data above · terms in the glossary

Is the HONDA CBR reliable?

The HONDA CBR is about average for its class: 83.7% of its 77,083 MOT tests (2005–2025) passed first time, against a class average of 84.9%. That ranks it #2820 of 5426 models.

What does a CBR fail its MOT on most?

brakes — 23% of all defects recorded against failed CBR tests.

What is the best year of CBR to buy used?

By first-time pass rate, 2019-registered examples do best (91.6%) and 1988 worst (64.7%). Condition and history still trump the year.

How many miles will a CBR last?

The median CBR shows 12,042 miles at test, and examples around 50k miles still pass 74.8% of the time — mileage alone rarely kills one.