HONDA CX500

496cc Petrol Class 2

#3601 of 5426 overall #640 of 921 HONDAs #2295 of 2787 other bikes

79.9%

first-time pass rate

12.6%

failed outright

38,134

median miles at test

15.6k

MOT tests, 2005–2025

Pass rate over time

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

The CX500's first-time pass rate has risen 14.0 points since 2005, 74.3% to 88.3%.

Pass rate by mileage

how the CX500's first-time pass rate falls with the odometer · class average 84.9%

A low-mileage CX500 passes first time 79.1% of the time; by 50k that's 78.2%.

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 CX500

failure defects by component group · advisories excluded

Component group	Defects	% of defects	vs all bikes
steering and suspension	1,153	25.2	1.7×
brakes	1,091	23.8	1.2×
lighting and signalling	1,066	23.3	1.2×
tyres and wheels	434	9.5	1.2×
fuel and exhaust	227	5	1.7×
body and structure	224	4.9	2.5×
lamps and reflectors	149	3.3	0.4×
driving controls	102	2.2	2.7×
reg plates and vin	78	1.7	0.8×
suspension	58	1.3	0.4×

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 CX500 beats 2 of its 4 closest rivals (KAWASAKI ZX-6R, SUZUKI GSF600, YAMAHA FZS600).

KAWASAKI ZX-6R 78.1% pass · 174k tests SUZUKI GSF600 77.3% pass · 143k tests YAMAHA FZS600 82.6% pass · 137k tests YAMAHA FZ6 85.2% pass · 67.1k 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 CX500.

Pass rate by registration year

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

Best year to buy used: 1984 (82.5% pass). Weakest: 1971 (78.9%).

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 CX500 FAQ

answers computed from the data above · terms in the glossary

Is the HONDA CX500 reliable?

The HONDA CX500 is less reliable than average for its class: 79.9% of its 15,631 MOT tests (2005–2025) passed first time, against a class average of 84.9%. That ranks it #3601 of 5426 models.

What does a CX500 fail its MOT on most?

steering and suspension — 25% of all defects recorded against failed CX500 tests.

What is the best year of CX500 to buy used?

By first-time pass rate, 1984-registered examples do best (82.5%) and 1971 worst (78.9%). Condition and history still trump the year.

How many miles will a CX500 last?

The median CX500 shows 38,134 miles at test, and examples around 50k miles still pass 78.2% of the time — mileage alone rarely kills one.