HONDA CBR 125 RS-5

125cc Petrol Class 1

#4904 of 5426 overall #899 of 921 HONDAs #218 of 226 sport bikes

67.0%

first-time pass rate

24.2%

failed outright

13,844

median miles at test

1,970

MOT tests, 2005–2025

Pass rate over time

first-time pass rate by test year · 2008–2023

The CBR 125 RS-5's first-time pass rate has fallen 20.8 points since 2008, 74.1% to 53.3%.

Pass rate by mileage

how the CBR 125 RS-5's first-time pass rate falls with the odometer · class average 73.4%

A low-mileage CBR 125 RS-5 passes first time 75.5% of the time; by 40k that's 55.9%.

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 RS-5

failure defects by component group · advisories excluded

Component group	Defects	% of defects	vs all bikes
brakes	287	21.1	2.3×
lighting and signalling	284	20.9	2.3×
steering and suspension	231	17	2.7×
drive system	159	11.7	8.1×
tyres and wheels	144	10.6	2.7×
lamps and reflectors	86	6.3	1.6×
structure and attachments	61	4.5	2.7×
suspension	37	2.7	2.1×
body and structure	35	2.6	3.0×
tyres	34	2.5	2.3×

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 RS-5 beats 2 of its 3 closest rivals (YAMAHA YZF-R125, HONDA CBR125R, HONDA CBR 125 R-4).

YAMAHA YZF-R125 68.0% pass · 63.7k tests HONDA CBR125R 66.8% pass · 26.5k tests HONDA CBR 125 R-4 65.1% pass · 6,736 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 RS-5.

Pass rate by registration year

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

Best year to buy used: 2005 (67.2% pass). Weakest: 2006 (65.7%).

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 125 RS-5 FAQ

answers computed from the data above · terms in the glossary

Is the HONDA CBR 125 RS-5 reliable?

The HONDA CBR 125 RS-5 is less reliable than average for its class: 67.0% of its 1,970 MOT tests (2005–2025) passed first time, against a class average of 73.4%. That ranks it #4904 of 5426 models.

What does a CBR 125 RS-5 fail its MOT on most?

brakes — 21% of all defects recorded against failed CBR 125 RS-5 tests.

How many miles will a CBR 125 RS-5 last?

The median CBR 125 RS-5 shows 13,844 miles at test, and examples around 40k miles still pass 55.9% of the time — mileage alone rarely kills one.