HONDA CITY EXPRESS

49cc Petrol Class 1

#3950 of 5426 overall #748 of 921 HONDAs #97 of 455 moped bikes

77.7%

first-time pass rate

14.8%

failed outright

12,620

median miles at test

14.4k

MOT tests, 2005–2025

Pass rate over time

first-time pass rate by test year · 2005–2025

The CITY EXPRESS's first-time pass rate has risen 1.5 points since 2005, 79.9% to 81.4%.

Pass rate by mileage

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

A low-mileage CITY EXPRESS passes first time 81.7% of the time; by 50k that's 52.9%.

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 CITY EXPRESS

failure defects by component group · advisories excluded

Component group	Defects	% of defects	vs all bikes
lighting and signalling	1,635	29	1.7×
brakes	1,426	25.3	1.5×
steering and suspension	1,336	23.7	2.1×
tyres and wheels	501	8.9	1.5×
fuel and exhaust	187	3.3	1.6×
lamps and reflectors	174	3.1	0.4×
body and structure	138	2.5	1.8×
suspension	99	1.8	0.7×
reg plates and vin	72	1.3	0.8×
tyres	61	1.1	0.6×

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 CITY EXPRESS beats 4 of its 4 closest rivals (PEUGEOT SPEEDFIGHT, PIAGGIO ZIP, PIAGGIO NRG).

PEUGEOT SPEEDFIGHT 65.2% pass · 83.7k tests PIAGGIO ZIP 71.3% pass · 79.0k tests PIAGGIO NRG 65.5% pass · 40.5k tests PEUGEOT VIVACITY 70.4% pass · 29.7k 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 CITY EXPRESS.

Pass rate by registration year

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

Best year to buy used: 1995 (81.6% pass). Weakest: 1998 (73.6%).

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 CITY EXPRESS FAQ

answers computed from the data above · terms in the glossary

Is the HONDA CITY EXPRESS reliable?

The HONDA CITY EXPRESS is more reliable than average for its class: 77.7% of its 14,367 MOT tests (2005–2025) passed first time, against a class average of 73.4%. That ranks it #3950 of 5426 models.

What does a CITY EXPRESS fail its MOT on most?

lighting and signalling — 29% of all defects recorded against failed CITY EXPRESS tests.

What is the best year of CITY EXPRESS to buy used?

By first-time pass rate, 1995-registered examples do best (81.6%) and 1998 worst (73.6%). Condition and history still trump the year.

How many miles will a CITY EXPRESS last?

The median CITY EXPRESS shows 12,620 miles at test, and examples around 50k miles still pass 52.9% of the time — mileage alone rarely kills one.