HONDA FES 125-A

125cc Petrol Class 1

#3896 of 5426 overall #734 of 921 HONDAs #151 of 734 commuter bikes

78.1%

first-time pass rate

13.4%

failed outright

15,082

median miles at test

730

MOT tests, 2005–2025

Pass rate over time

first-time pass rate by test year · 2013–2023

The FES 125-A's first-time pass rate has fallen 5.7 points since 2013, 87.0% to 81.3%.

Pass rate by mileage

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

A low-mileage FES 125-A passes first time 88.4% of the time; by 30k that's 69.0%.

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 FES 125-A

failure defects by component group · advisories excluded

Component group	Defects	% of defects	vs all bikes
brakes	79	38.3	1.6×
lighting and signalling	34	16.5	0.9×
lamps and reflectors	29	14.1	2.1×
tyres and wheels	26	12.6	1.7×
tyres	13	6.3	2.2×
steering and suspension	11	5.3	0.5×
suspension	6	2.9	0.9×
structure and attachments	4	1.9	0.6×
steering	3	1.5	1.0×
Items Not Tested	1	0.5	1.5×

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 FES 125-A 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-A.

Pass rate by registration year

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

Best year to buy used: 2011 (78.4% pass). Weakest: 2010 (77.8%).

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 FES 125-A FAQ

answers computed from the data above · terms in the glossary

Is the HONDA FES 125-A reliable?

The HONDA FES 125-A is more reliable than average for its class: 78.1% of its 730 MOT tests (2005–2025) passed first time, against a class average of 73.4%. That ranks it #3896 of 5426 models.

What does a FES 125-A fail its MOT on most?

brakes — 38% of all defects recorded against failed FES 125-A tests.

How many miles will a FES 125-A last?

The median FES 125-A shows 15,082 miles at test, and examples around 30k miles still pass 69.0% of the time — mileage alone rarely kills one.