HONDA CM125

124cc Petrol Class 1

#4691 of 5426 overall #881 of 921 HONDAs #362 of 734 commuter bikes

70.5%

first-time pass rate

18.9%

failed outright

19,710

median miles at test

502

MOT tests, 2005–2025

Pass rate over time

first-time pass rate by test year · 2006–2015

The CM125's first-time pass rate has fallen 16.8 points since 2006, 81.3% to 64.5%.

Pass rate by mileage

how the CM125's first-time pass rate falls with the odometer · class average 73.4%

A low-mileage CM125 passes first time 85.5% of the time; by 30k that's 56.6%.

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 CM125

failure defects by component group · advisories excluded

Component group	Defects	% of defects	vs all bikes
lighting and signalling	62	24.1	2.0×
steering and suspension	60	23.3	2.5×
brakes	57	22.2	1.9×
tyres and wheels	20	7.8	1.8×
drive system	19	7.4	4.4×
fuel and exhaust	11	4.3	2.4×
body and structure	9	3.5	3.7×
lamps and reflectors	8	3.1	0.8×
structure and attachments	6	2.3	1.5×
tyres	5	1.9	1.5×

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 CM125 beats 0 of its 4 closest rivals (YAMAHA YBR 125, HONDA CG125, HONDA CBF125).

YAMAHA YBR 125 71.0% pass · 125k tests HONDA CG125 72.2% pass · 89.3k tests HONDA CBF125 73.3% pass · 84.4k tests GILERA RUNNER 70.8% pass · 69.9k 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 CM125.

Pass rate by registration year

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

Best year to buy used: 2003 (75.2% pass). Weakest: 1982 (63.1%).

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 CM125 FAQ

answers computed from the data above · terms in the glossary

Is the HONDA CM125 reliable?

The HONDA CM125 is less reliable than average for its class: 70.5% of its 502 MOT tests (2005–2025) passed first time, against a class average of 73.4%. That ranks it #4691 of 5426 models.

What does a CM125 fail its MOT on most?

lighting and signalling — 24% of all defects recorded against failed CM125 tests.

How many miles will a CM125 last?

The median CM125 shows 19,710 miles at test, and examples around 30k miles still pass 56.6% of the time — mileage alone rarely kills one.