HONDA RS250

248cc Petrol Class 2

#2792 of 5426 overall #429 of 921 HONDAs #1762 of 2787 other bikes

83.8%

first-time pass rate

5.2%

failed outright

34,679

median miles at test

291

MOT tests, 2005–2025

Pass rate by mileage

how the RS250's first-time pass rate falls with the odometer · class average 84.9%

A low-mileage RS250 passes first time 82.1% of the time; by 50k that's 88.4%.

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 RS250

failure defects by component group · advisories excluded

Component group	Defects	% of defects
steering and suspension	13	36.1
brakes	5	13.9
lamps and reflectors	4	11.1
drive system	4	11.1
lighting and signalling	3	8.3
tyres and wheels	2	5.6
body and structure	2	5.6
reg plates and vin	1	2.8
driving controls	1	2.8
suspension	1	2.8

Defects recorded against failed normal tests, 2005–2025, grouped by DVSA inspection section. One test can record multiple defects.

How rivals compare

same type, similar capacity, high test volume

On first-time pass rate the RS250 beats 3 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 RS250.

Pass rate by registration year

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

Best year to buy used: 1981 (84.8% pass). Weakest: 1980 (82.5%).

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.