HONDA CBR250

249cc Petrol Class 2

#2362 of 5426 overall #338 of 921 HONDAs #104 of 226 sport bikes

85.5%

first-time pass rate

9.5%

failed outright

17,591

median miles at test

919

MOT tests, 2005–2025

Pass rate over time

first-time pass rate by test year · 2006–2025

The CBR250's first-time pass rate has fallen 2.4 points since 2006, 77.4% to 75.0%.

Pass rate by mileage

how the CBR250's first-time pass rate falls with the odometer · class average 84.9%

A low-mileage CBR250 passes first time 90.5% of the time; by 50k that's 85.3%.

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 CBR250

failure defects by component group · advisories excluded

Component group	Defects	% of defects	vs all bikes
lighting and signalling	46	22	0.9×
brakes	42	20.1	0.7×
steering and suspension	40	19.1	1.2×
drive system	22	10.5	2.0×
tyres and wheels	20	9.6	0.9×
body and structure	12	5.7	1.8×
steering	9	4.3	1.3×
suspension	8	3.8	0.9×
lamps and reflectors	5	2.4	0.3×
structure and attachments	5	2.4	0.8×

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.

Pass rate by registration year

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

Best year to buy used: 2012 (88.6% pass). Weakest: 1988 (76.9%).

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 CBR250 FAQ

answers computed from the data above · terms in the glossary

Is the HONDA CBR250 reliable?

The HONDA CBR250 is about average for its class: 85.5% of its 919 MOT tests (2005–2025) passed first time, against a class average of 84.9%. That ranks it #2362 of 5426 models.

What does a CBR250 fail its MOT on most?

lighting and signalling — 22% of all defects recorded against failed CBR250 tests.

What is the best year of CBR250 to buy used?

By first-time pass rate, 2012-registered examples do best (88.6%) and 1988 worst (76.9%). Condition and history still trump the year.

How many miles will a CBR250 last?

The median CBR250 shows 17,591 miles at test, and examples around 50k miles still pass 85.3% of the time — mileage alone rarely kills one.