HONDA FES250

249cc Petrol Class 2

#3199 of 5426 overall #529 of 921 HONDAs #2032 of 2787 other bikes

81.9%

first-time pass rate

13.1%

failed outright

18,318

median miles at test

5,758

MOT tests, 2005–2025

Pass rate over time

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

The FES250's first-time pass rate has held steady since 2005 (87.7% → 87.5%).

Pass rate by mileage

how the FES250's first-time pass rate falls with the odometer · class average 84.9%

A low-mileage FES250 passes first time 89.6% of the time; by 50k that's 66.7%.

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 FES250

failure defects by component group · advisories excluded

Component group	Defects	% of defects	vs all bikes
brakes	494	34.3	1.4×
tyres and wheels	286	19.8	2.2×
steering and suspension	227	15.8	1.1×
lighting and signalling	201	13.9	0.7×
fuel and exhaust	67	4.6	1.3×
lamps and reflectors	45	3.1	0.4×
tyres	44	3.1	1.0×
suspension	39	2.7	0.8×
steering	21	1.5	0.8×
structure and attachments	17	1.2	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 FES250 beats 2 of its 4 closest rivals (YAMAHA YP250, YAMAHA WR250F, HONDA XR250).

YAMAHA YP250 82.5% pass · 12.4k tests YAMAHA WR250F 78.0% pass · 10.5k tests HONDA XR250 78.8% pass · 9,277 tests HONDA CBF250 84.9% pass · 7,536 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 FES250.

Pass rate by registration year

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

Best year to buy used: 2000 (83.0% pass). Weakest: 2003 (79.5%).

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.

HONDA FES250 FAQ

answers computed from the data above · terms in the glossary

Is the HONDA FES250 reliable?

The HONDA FES250 is less reliable than average for its class: 81.9% of its 5,758 MOT tests (2005–2025) passed first time, against a class average of 84.9%. That ranks it #3199 of 5426 models.

What does a FES250 fail its MOT on most?

brakes — 34% of all defects recorded against failed FES250 tests.

What is the best year of FES250 to buy used?

By first-time pass rate, 2000-registered examples do best (83.0%) and 2003 worst (79.5%). Condition and history still trump the year.

How many miles will a FES250 last?

The median FES250 shows 18,318 miles at test, and examples around 50k miles still pass 66.7% of the time — mileage alone rarely kills one.