HONDA CUB

85cc Petrol Class 1

#2720 of 5426 overall #413 of 921 HONDAs #34 of 734 commuter bikes

84.1%

first-time pass rate

8.5%

failed outright

16,167

median miles at test

634

MOT tests, 2005–2025

Pass rate over time

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

The CUB's first-time pass rate has fallen 8.0 points since 2006, 86.4% to 78.4%.

Pass rate by mileage

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

A low-mileage CUB passes first time 84.7% of the time; by 30k that's 86.2%.

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 CUB

failure defects by component group · advisories excluded

Component group	Defects	% of defects	vs all bikes
lighting and signalling	59	41.3	1.1×
steering and suspension	22	15.4	1.0×
tyres and wheels	18	12.6	1.4×
brakes	18	12.6	0.5×
lamps and reflectors	13	9.1	0.8×
body and structure	5	3.5	1.6×
suspension	3	2.1	0.4×
reg plates and vin	2	1.4	0.6×
drive system	2	1.4	0.4×
Identification of the vehicle	1	0.7	0.7×

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 CUB beats 4 of its 4 closest rivals (HONDA C90, HONDA SCV100, YAMAHA YQ100).

HONDA C90 79.3% pass · 92.8k tests HONDA SCV100 70.7% pass · 31.3k tests YAMAHA YQ100 64.7% pass · 7,747 tests HONDA NHX 110 WH-8 80.4% pass · 7,740 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 CUB.

Pass rate by registration year

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

Best year to buy used: 1994 (86.7% pass). Weakest: 1995 (79.0%).

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 CUB FAQ

answers computed from the data above · terms in the glossary

Is the HONDA CUB reliable?

The HONDA CUB is more reliable than average for its class: 84.1% of its 634 MOT tests (2005–2025) passed first time, against a class average of 73.4%. That ranks it #2720 of 5426 models.

What does a CUB fail its MOT on most?

lighting and signalling — 41% of all defects recorded against failed CUB tests.

What is the best year of CUB to buy used?

By first-time pass rate, 1994-registered examples do best (86.7%) and 1995 worst (79.0%). Condition and history still trump the year.

How many miles will a CUB last?

The median CUB shows 16,167 miles at test, and examples around 30k miles still pass 86.2% of the time — mileage alone rarely kills one.