HONDA FES 125-5

125cc Petrol Class 1

#4450 of 5426 overall #847 of 921 HONDAs #275 of 734 commuter bikes

73.5%

first-time pass rate

22.3%

failed outright

13,743

median miles at test

404

MOT tests, 2005–2025

Pass rate over time

first-time pass rate by test year · 2009–2013

The FES 125-5's first-time pass rate has risen 15.9 points since 2009, 53.8% to 69.7%.

Pass rate by mileage

how the FES 125-5's first-time pass rate falls with the odometer · class average 73.4%

A low-mileage FES 125-5 passes first time 84.3% of the time; by 30k that's 53.1%.

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 FES 125-5

failure defects by component group · advisories excluded

Component group	Defects	% of defects
brakes	58	31.5
steering and suspension	47	25.5
lighting and signalling	29	15.8
tyres and wheels	20	10.9
lamps and reflectors	16	8.7
tyres	6	3.3
suspension	5	2.7
steering	3	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 FES 125-5 beats 4 of its 4 closest rivals (YAMAHA YBR 125, HONDA CG125, HONDA CBF125).

YAMAHA YBR 125 71.0% pass · 125k tests HONDA CG125 72.2% pass · 89.3k tests HONDA CBF125 73.3% pass · 84.4k tests GILERA RUNNER 70.8% pass · 69.9k 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 FES 125-5.

Pass rate by registration year

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

Best year to buy used: 2005 (75.6% pass). Weakest: 2006 (70.5%).

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.