HONDA FES 125-A-B

125cc Petrol Class 1

#3719 of 5426 overall #670 of 921 HONDAs #113 of 734 commuter bikes

79.3%

first-time pass rate

13.3%

failed outright

14,768

median miles at test

723

MOT tests, 2005–2025

Pass rate over time

first-time pass rate by test year · 2014–2023

The FES 125-A-B's first-time pass rate has fallen 11.3 points since 2014, 79.5% to 68.2%.

Pass rate by mileage

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

A low-mileage FES 125-A-B passes first time 88.8% of the time; by 40k that's 77.4%.

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-B

failure defects by component group · advisories excluded

Component group	Defects	% of defects	vs all bikes
brakes	62	28.6	1.5×
lamps and reflectors	50	23	2.3×
lighting and signalling	25	11.5	0.7×
tyres and wheels	22	10.1	1.5×
tyres	15	6.9	2.4×
suspension	15	6.9	1.7×
steering	12	5.5	2.7×
steering and suspension	11	5.1	0.5×
structure and attachments	3	1.4	0.6×
reg plates and vin	2	0.9	0.5×

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-B 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-B.

Pass rate by registration year

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

Best year to buy used: 2011 (80.9% pass). Weakest: 2012 (76.6%).

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-B FAQ

answers computed from the data above · terms in the glossary

Is the HONDA FES 125-A-B reliable?

The HONDA FES 125-A-B is more reliable than average for its class: 79.3% of its 723 MOT tests (2005–2025) passed first time, against a class average of 73.4%. That ranks it #3719 of 5426 models.

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

brakes — 29% of all defects recorded against failed FES 125-A-B tests.

How many miles will a FES 125-A-B last?

The median FES 125-A-B shows 14,768 miles at test, and examples around 40k miles still pass 77.4% of the time — mileage alone rarely kills one.