HONDA CBR 125 R-4

125cc Petrol Class 1

#5010 of 5426 overall #910 of 921 HONDAs #222 of 226 sport bikes

65.1%

first-time pass rate

25.4%

failed outright

12,971

median miles at test

6,736

MOT tests, 2005–2025

Pass rate over time

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

The CBR 125 R-4's first-time pass rate has fallen 19.4 points since 2007, 76.9% to 57.5%.

Pass rate by mileage

how the CBR 125 R-4's first-time pass rate falls with the odometer · class average 73.4%

A low-mileage CBR 125 R-4 passes first time 76.1% of the time; by 40k that's 49.5%.

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 125 R-4

failure defects by component group · advisories excluded

Component group	Defects	% of defects	vs all bikes
brakes	1,137	23.3	2.8×
lighting and signalling	1,037	21.2	2.4×
steering and suspension	791	16.2	2.8×
drive system	543	11.1	8.0×
tyres and wheels	543	11.1	3.3×
lamps and reflectors	266	5.4	1.5×
structure and attachments	198	4.1	2.7×
fuel and exhaust	148	3	2.7×
body and structure	141	2.9	3.6×
reg plates and vin	84	1.7	1.8×

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 125 R-4 beats 0 of its 2 closest rivals (YAMAHA YZF-R125, HONDA CBR125R).

YAMAHA YZF-R125 68.0% pass · 63.7k tests HONDA CBR125R 66.8% pass · 26.5k 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 125 R-4.

Pass rate by registration year

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

Best year to buy used: 2004 (65.3% pass). Weakest: 2005 (63.1%).

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 125 R-4 FAQ

answers computed from the data above · terms in the glossary

Is the HONDA CBR 125 R-4 reliable?

The HONDA CBR 125 R-4 is less reliable than average for its class: 65.1% of its 6,736 MOT tests (2005–2025) passed first time, against a class average of 73.4%. That ranks it #5010 of 5426 models.

What does a CBR 125 R-4 fail its MOT on most?

brakes — 23% of all defects recorded against failed CBR 125 R-4 tests.

How many miles will a CBR 125 R-4 last?

The median CBR 125 R-4 shows 12,971 miles at test, and examples around 40k miles still pass 49.5% of the time — mileage alone rarely kills one.