HONDA NSC

49cc Petrol Class 1

#2515 of 5426 overall #372 of 921 HONDAs #37 of 455 moped bikes

84.9%

first-time pass rate

9.4%

failed outright

7,376

median miles at test

9,547

MOT tests, 2005–2025

Pass rate over time

first-time pass rate by test year · 2016–2025

The NSC's first-time pass rate has fallen 2.2 points since 2016, 84.6% to 82.4%.

Pass rate by mileage

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

A low-mileage NSC passes first time 89.0% of the time; by 40k that's 76.9%.

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 NSC

failure defects by component group · advisories excluded

Component group	Defects	% of defects	vs all bikes
brakes	470	26.5	0.9×
lamps and reflectors	402	22.6	2.0×
suspension	387	21.8	4.4×
tyres	203	11.4	2.6×
steering	176	9.9	4.0×
lighting and signalling	37	2.1	0.1×
structure and attachments	28	1.6	0.4×
Identification of the vehicle	27	1.5	1.2×
steering and suspension	25	1.4	0.1×
tyres and wheels	21	1.2	0.1×

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 NSC beats 4 of its 4 closest rivals (PEUGEOT SPEEDFIGHT, PIAGGIO ZIP, PIAGGIO NRG).

PEUGEOT SPEEDFIGHT 65.2% pass · 83.7k tests PIAGGIO ZIP 71.3% pass · 79.0k tests PIAGGIO NRG 65.5% pass · 40.5k tests PEUGEOT VIVACITY 70.4% pass · 29.7k 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 NSC.

Pass rate by registration year

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

Best year to buy used: 2018 (91.4% pass). Weakest: 2012 (78.8%).

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 NSC FAQ

answers computed from the data above · terms in the glossary

Is the HONDA NSC reliable?

The HONDA NSC is more reliable than average for its class: 84.9% of its 9,547 MOT tests (2005–2025) passed first time, against a class average of 73.4%. That ranks it #2515 of 5426 models.

What does a NSC fail its MOT on most?

brakes — 26% of all defects recorded against failed NSC tests.

What is the best year of NSC to buy used?

By first-time pass rate, 2018-registered examples do best (91.4%) and 2012 worst (78.8%). Condition and history still trump the year.

How many miles will a NSC last?

The median NSC shows 7,376 miles at test, and examples around 40k miles still pass 76.9% of the time — mileage alone rarely kills one.