HONDA CX500C

498cc Petrol Class 2

#3399 of 5426 overall #590 of 921 HONDAs #2170 of 2787 other bikes

80.9%

first-time pass rate

11.4%

failed outright

29,994

median miles at test

246

MOT tests, 2005–2025

Pass rate by mileage

how the CX500C's first-time pass rate falls with the odometer · class average 84.9%

A low-mileage CX500C passes first time 87.9% of the time; by 40k that's 83.7%.

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 CX500C

failure defects by component group · advisories excluded

Component group	Defects	% of defects
lighting and signalling	26	42.6
steering and suspension	9	14.8
brakes	7	11.5
tyres and wheels	4	6.6
fuel and exhaust	4	6.6
lamps and reflectors	4	6.6
body and structure	4	6.6
reg plates and vin	2	3.3
driving controls	1	1.6

Defects recorded against failed normal tests, 2005–2025, grouped by DVSA inspection section. One test can record multiple defects.

How rivals compare

same type, similar capacity, high test volume

On first-time pass rate the CX500C beats 3 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 SUZUKI SV650S 80.6% pass · 84.6k 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 CX500C.

Pass rate by registration year

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

Best year to buy used: 1985 (82.7% pass). Weakest: 1981 (81.9%).

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.