HONDA EXPRESS II

49cc Petrol Class 1

#3666 of 5426 overall #661 of 921 HONDAs #81 of 455 moped bikes

79.6%

first-time pass rate

11.5%

failed outright

4,804

median miles at test

686

MOT tests, 2005–2025

Pass rate over time

first-time pass rate by test year · 2006–2019

The EXPRESS II's first-time pass rate has fallen 4.8 points since 2006, 82.2% to 77.4%.

What fails on a EXPRESS II

failure defects by component group · advisories excluded

Component group	Defects	% of defects	vs all bikes
lighting and signalling	120	49.8	1.7×
brakes	32	13.3	0.7×
steering and suspension	29	12	0.9×
tyres and wheels	27	11.2	1.4×
lamps and reflectors	17	7.1	0.8×
suspension	5	2.1	0.8×
fuel and exhaust	4	1.7	0.6×
body and structure	3	1.2	0.9×
audible warning (Horn)	2	0.8	1.6×
steering	2	0.8	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 EXPRESS II beats 4 of its 4 closest rivals (PEUGEOT SPEEDFIGHT, PIAGGIO ZIP, PIAGGIO NRG).

PEUGEOT SPEEDFIGHT 65.2% pass · 83.7k tests PIAGGIO ZIP 71.3% pass · 79.0k tests PIAGGIO NRG 65.5% pass · 40.5k tests PEUGEOT VIVACITY 70.4% pass · 29.7k 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 EXPRESS II.

Pass rate by registration year

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

Best year to buy used: 1981 (89.2% pass). Weakest: 1980 (75.9%).

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 EXPRESS II FAQ

answers computed from the data above · terms in the glossary

Is the HONDA EXPRESS II reliable?

The HONDA EXPRESS II is more reliable than average for its class: 79.6% of its 686 MOT tests (2005–2025) passed first time, against a class average of 73.4%. That ranks it #3666 of 5426 models.

What does a EXPRESS II fail its MOT on most?

lighting and signalling — 50% of all defects recorded against failed EXPRESS II tests.

What is the best year of EXPRESS II to buy used?

By first-time pass rate, 1981-registered examples do best (89.2%) and 1980 worst (75.9%). Condition and history still trump the year.