HONDA GL 1800 A-3

1832cc Petrol Class 2

#618 of 5426 overall #71 of 921 HONDAs #376 of 2787 other bikes

91.3%

first-time pass rate

6.5%

failed outright

30,272

median miles at test

812

MOT tests, 2005–2025

Pass rate over time

first-time pass rate by test year · 2006–2022

The GL 1800 A-3's first-time pass rate has fallen 3.5 points since 2006, 94.1% to 90.6%.

Pass rate by mileage

how the GL 1800 A-3's first-time pass rate falls with the odometer · class average 84.9%

A low-mileage GL 1800 A-3 passes first time 96.0% of the time; by 50k that's 87.7%.

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 GL 1800 A-3

failure defects by component group · advisories excluded

Component group	Defects	% of defects	vs all bikes
lighting and signalling	23	27.1	0.6×
steering and suspension	13	15.3	0.5×
brakes	11	12.9	0.3×
tyres and wheels	11	12.9	0.7×
reg plates and vin	10	11.8	1.1×
tyres	6	7.1	0.7×
suspension	4	4.7	0.7×
lamps and reflectors	3	3.5	0.2×
driving controls	2	2.4	1.0×
sidecar	2	2.4	—

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 GL 1800 A-3 beats 4 of its 4 closest rivals (SUZUKI GSX1400, SUZUKI GSX1300R, YAMAHA FJR1300A).

SUZUKI GSX1400 88.3% pass · 56.8k tests SUZUKI GSX1300R 86.3% pass · 48.4k tests YAMAHA FJR1300A 90.2% pass · 27.9k tests YAMAHA FJR1300 87.5% pass · 25.9k 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 GL 1800 A-3.

Pass rate by registration year

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

Best year to buy used: 2004 (94.2% pass). Weakest: 2003 (91.0%).

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 GL 1800 A-3 FAQ

answers computed from the data above · terms in the glossary

Is the HONDA GL 1800 A-3 reliable?

The HONDA GL 1800 A-3 is more reliable than average for its class: 91.3% of its 812 MOT tests (2005–2025) passed first time, against a class average of 84.9%. That ranks it #618 of 5426 models.

What does a GL 1800 A-3 fail its MOT on most?

lighting and signalling — 27% of all defects recorded against failed GL 1800 A-3 tests.

How many miles will a GL 1800 A-3 last?

The median GL 1800 A-3 shows 30,272 miles at test, and examples around 50k miles still pass 87.7% of the time — mileage alone rarely kills one.