HONDA NES125

124cc Petrol Class 1

#2658 of 5426 overall #401 of 921 HONDAs #29 of 734 commuter bikes

84.3%

first-time pass rate

10.8%

failed outright

12,428

median miles at test

536

MOT tests, 2005–2025

Pass rate over time

first-time pass rate by test year · 2006–2016

The NES125's first-time pass rate has fallen 8.1 points since 2006, 91.4% to 83.3%.

Pass rate by mileage

how the NES125's first-time pass rate falls with the odometer · class average 73.4%

A low-mileage NES125 passes first time 91.9% of the time; by 20k that's 75.7%.

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 NES125

failure defects by component group · advisories excluded

Component group	Defects	% of defects	vs all bikes
brakes	50	39.4	1.3×
steering and suspension	34	26.8	1.5×
tyres and wheels	18	14.2	1.4×
lighting and signalling	17	13.4	0.6×
suspension	3	2.4	0.5×
lamps and reflectors	2	1.6	0.1×
audible warning (Horn)	1	0.8	1.0×
tyres	1	0.8	0.3×
body and structure	1	0.8	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 NES125 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 NES125.

Pass rate by registration year

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

Best year to buy used: 2000 (88.6% pass). Weakest: 2001 (84.4%).

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 NES125 FAQ

answers computed from the data above · terms in the glossary

Is the HONDA NES125 reliable?

The HONDA NES125 is more reliable than average for its class: 84.3% of its 536 MOT tests (2005–2025) passed first time, against a class average of 73.4%. That ranks it #2658 of 5426 models.

What does a NES125 fail its MOT on most?

brakes — 39% of all defects recorded against failed NES125 tests.

What is the best year of NES125 to buy used?

By first-time pass rate, 2000-registered examples do best (88.6%) and 2001 worst (84.4%). Condition and history still trump the year.

How many miles will a NES125 last?

The median NES125 shows 12,428 miles at test, and examples around 20k miles still pass 75.7% of the time — mileage alone rarely kills one.