HONDA CUB 90

85cc Petrol Class 1

#3513 of 5426 overall #619 of 921 HONDAs #92 of 734 commuter bikes

80.3%

first-time pass rate

8.8%

failed outright

19,200

median miles at test

853

MOT tests, 2005–2025

Pass rate over time

first-time pass rate by test year · 2006–2017

The CUB 90's first-time pass rate has fallen 4.3 points since 2006, 84.3% to 80.0%.

Pass rate by mileage

how the CUB 90's first-time pass rate falls with the odometer · class average 73.4%

A low-mileage CUB 90 passes first time 87.0% of the time; by 40k that's 80.0%.

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 90

failure defects by component group · advisories excluded

Component group	Defects	% of defects	vs all bikes
lighting and signalling	59	26.8	0.9×
tyres and wheels	47	21.4	1.8×
brakes	38	17.3	0.6×
steering and suspension	33	15	1.0×
drive system	18	8.2	2.1×
fuel and exhaust	7	3.2	0.9×
body and structure	6	2.7	1.5×
wheels	4	1.8	3.9×
lamps and reflectors	4	1.8	0.1×
structure and attachments	4	1.8	0.2×

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 90 beats 3 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 90.

Pass rate by registration year

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

Best year to buy used: 1996 (83.3% pass). Weakest: 1995 (78.5%).

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 90 FAQ

answers computed from the data above · terms in the glossary

Is the HONDA CUB 90 reliable?

The HONDA CUB 90 is more reliable than average for its class: 80.3% of its 853 MOT tests (2005–2025) passed first time, against a class average of 73.4%. That ranks it #3513 of 5426 models.

What does a CUB 90 fail its MOT on most?

lighting and signalling — 27% of all defects recorded against failed CUB 90 tests.

What is the best year of CUB 90 to buy used?

By first-time pass rate, 1996-registered examples do best (83.3%) and 1995 worst (78.5%). Condition and history still trump the year.

How many miles will a CUB 90 last?

The median CUB 90 shows 19,200 miles at test, and examples around 40k miles still pass 80.0% of the time — mileage alone rarely kills one.