HONDA NES125-2

124cc Petrol Class 1

#3601 of 5426 overall #640 of 921 HONDAs #102 of 734 commuter bikes

79.9%

first-time pass rate

14.4%

failed outright

13,420

median miles at test

827

MOT tests, 2005–2025

Pass rate over time

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

The NES125-2's first-time pass rate has fallen 10.7 points since 2006, 89.5% to 78.8%.

Pass rate by mileage

how the NES125-2's first-time pass rate falls with the odometer · class average 73.4%

A low-mileage NES125-2 passes first time 85.5% of the time; by 30k that's 80.4%.

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 NES125-2

failure defects by component group · advisories excluded

Component group	Defects	% of defects	vs all bikes
brakes	107	41.3	2.0×
steering and suspension	51	19.7	1.6×
lighting and signalling	38	14.7	0.9×
tyres and wheels	26	10	1.5×
lamps and reflectors	10	3.9	0.6×
suspension	10	3.9	0.5×
tyres	9	3.5	1.2×
body and structure	4	1.5	1.0×
steering	3	1.2	0.9×
fuel and exhaust	1	0.4	0.2×

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 NES125-2 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 NES125-2.

Pass rate by registration year

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

Best year to buy used: 2002 (80.6% pass). Weakest: 2003 (73.8%).

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 NES125-2 FAQ

answers computed from the data above · terms in the glossary

Is the HONDA NES125-2 reliable?

The HONDA NES125-2 is more reliable than average for its class: 79.9% of its 827 MOT tests (2005–2025) passed first time, against a class average of 73.4%. That ranks it #3601 of 5426 models.

What does a NES125-2 fail its MOT on most?

brakes — 41% of all defects recorded against failed NES125-2 tests.

How many miles will a NES125-2 last?

The median NES125-2 shows 13,420 miles at test, and examples around 30k miles still pass 80.4% of the time — mileage alone rarely kills one.