HONDA CBR 500 RA-D

471cc Petrol Class 2

#2016 of 5426 overall #272 of 921 HONDAs #86 of 226 sport bikes

86.6%

first-time pass rate

8.2%

failed outright

12,194

median miles at test

2,684

MOT tests, 2005–2025

Pass rate over time

first-time pass rate by test year · 2016–2025

The CBR 500 RA-D's first-time pass rate has fallen 7.2 points since 2016, 91.0% to 83.8%.

Pass rate by mileage

how the CBR 500 RA-D's first-time pass rate falls with the odometer · class average 84.9%

A low-mileage CBR 500 RA-D passes first time 93.7% of the time; by 40k that's 84.6%.

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 CBR 500 RA-D

failure defects by component group · advisories excluded

Component group	Defects	% of defects	vs all bikes
brakes	119	27.9	0.8×
lamps and reflectors	60	14.1	1.1×
suspension	53	12.4	2.2×
structure and attachments	47	11	2.1×
tyres	41	9.6	2.0×
steering	28	6.6	1.9×
steering and suspension	28	6.6	0.3×
tyres and wheels	24	5.6	0.4×
lighting and signalling	14	3.3	0.1×
audible warning (Horn)	13	3	2.6×

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 500 RA-D 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 HONDA CBR 83.7% pass · 77.1k 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 500 RA-D.

Pass rate by registration year

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

Best year to buy used: 2013 (86.6% pass). Weakest: 2013 (86.6%).

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 500 RA-D FAQ

answers computed from the data above · terms in the glossary

Is the HONDA CBR 500 RA-D reliable?

The HONDA CBR 500 RA-D is about average for its class: 86.6% of its 2,684 MOT tests (2005–2025) passed first time, against a class average of 84.9%. That ranks it #2016 of 5426 models.

What does a CBR 500 RA-D fail its MOT on most?

brakes — 28% of all defects recorded against failed CBR 500 RA-D tests.

How many miles will a CBR 500 RA-D last?

The median CBR 500 RA-D shows 12,194 miles at test, and examples around 40k miles still pass 84.6% of the time — mileage alone rarely kills one.