HONDA FES125

125cc Petrol Class 1

#4149 of 5426 overall #791 of 921 HONDAs #198 of 734 commuter bikes

76.3%

first-time pass rate

17.8%

failed outright

14,688

median miles at test

18.3k

MOT tests, 2005–2025

Pass rate over time

first-time pass rate by test year · 2005–2025

The FES125's first-time pass rate has fallen 9.6 points since 2005, 81.8% to 72.2%.

Pass rate by mileage

how the FES125's first-time pass rate falls with the odometer · class average 73.4%

A low-mileage FES125 passes first time 84.1% of the time; by 50k that's 74.6%.

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 FES125

failure defects by component group · advisories excluded

Component group	Defects	% of defects	vs all bikes
brakes	2,250	32.6	2.0×
steering and suspension	1,435	20.8	1.9×
lighting and signalling	1,064	15.4	1.1×
tyres and wheels	974	14.1	2.3×
lamps and reflectors	458	6.6	1.0×
suspension	279	4	1.5×
tyres	218	3.2	1.5×
fuel and exhaust	106	1.5	0.7×
steering	67	1	0.8×
reg plates and vin	51	0.7	0.4×

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 FES125 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 FES125.

Pass rate by registration year

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

Best year to buy used: 2012 (83.3% pass). Weakest: 1999 (72.0%).

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 FES125 FAQ

answers computed from the data above · terms in the glossary

Is the HONDA FES125 reliable?

The HONDA FES125 is more reliable than average for its class: 76.3% of its 18,340 MOT tests (2005–2025) passed first time, against a class average of 73.4%. That ranks it #4149 of 5426 models.

What does a FES125 fail its MOT on most?

brakes — 33% of all defects recorded against failed FES125 tests.

What is the best year of FES125 to buy used?

By first-time pass rate, 2012-registered examples do best (83.3%) and 1999 worst (72.0%). Condition and history still trump the year.

How many miles will a FES125 last?

The median FES125 shows 14,688 miles at test, and examples around 50k miles still pass 74.6% of the time — mileage alone rarely kills one.