HONDA CD185

180cc Petrol Class 1

#3531 of 5426 overall #622 of 921 HONDAs #2246 of 2787 other bikes

80.2%

first-time pass rate

10.4%

failed outright

21,182

median miles at test

546

MOT tests, 2005–2025

Pass rate over time

first-time pass rate by test year · 2006–2016

The CD185's first-time pass rate has fallen 6.0 points since 2006, 84.4% to 78.4%.

Pass rate by mileage

how the CD185's first-time pass rate falls with the odometer · class average 73.4%

A low-mileage CD185 passes first time 79.1% of the time; by 40k that's 84.1%.

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 CD185

failure defects by component group · advisories excluded

Component group	Defects	% of defects	vs all bikes
lighting and signalling	94	59.9	1.8×
steering and suspension	22	14	0.9×
tyres and wheels	15	9.6	1.0×
brakes	8	5.1	0.4×
fuel and exhaust	5	3.2	1.0×
driving controls	5	3.2	3.9×
body and structure	4	2.5	1.1×
lamps and reflectors	2	1.3	0.1×
Items Not Tested	1	0.6	2.0×
reg plates and vin	1	0.6	0.3×

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 CD185 beats 1 of its 2 closest rivals (BSA BANTAM, HONDA CB TWO FIFTY).

BSA BANTAM 88.7% pass · 7,201 tests HONDA CB TWO FIFTY 77.8% pass · 5,844 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 CD185.

Pass rate by registration year

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

Best year to buy used: 1979 (81.6% pass). Weakest: 1978 (79.7%).

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 CD185 FAQ

answers computed from the data above · terms in the glossary

Is the HONDA CD185 reliable?

The HONDA CD185 is more reliable than average for its class: 80.2% of its 546 MOT tests (2005–2025) passed first time, against a class average of 73.4%. That ranks it #3531 of 5426 models.

What does a CD185 fail its MOT on most?

lighting and signalling — 60% of all defects recorded against failed CD185 tests.

How many miles will a CD185 last?

The median CD185 shows 21,182 miles at test, and examples around 40k miles still pass 84.1% of the time — mileage alone rarely kills one.