HONDA SES 125-2

125cc Petrol Class 1

#4065 of 5426 overall #779 of 921 HONDAs #182 of 734 commuter bikes

77.0%

first-time pass rate

16.6%

failed outright

14,820

median miles at test

3,089

MOT tests, 2005–2025

Pass rate over time

first-time pass rate by test year · 2005–2021

The SES 125-2's first-time pass rate has fallen 9.3 points since 2005, 85.0% to 75.7%.

Pass rate by mileage

how the SES 125-2's first-time pass rate falls with the odometer · class average 73.4%

A low-mileage SES 125-2 passes first time 85.3% of the time; by 50k that's 56.8%.

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 SES 125-2

failure defects by component group · advisories excluded

Component group	Defects	% of defects	vs all bikes
brakes	377	31.9	2.0×
lighting and signalling	302	25.6	1.7×
steering and suspension	262	22.2	2.0×
tyres and wheels	122	10.3	1.8×
suspension	42	3.6	1.1×
lamps and reflectors	33	2.8	0.5×
body and structure	14	1.2	0.8×
reg plates and vin	11	0.9	0.6×
fuel and exhaust	9	0.8	0.4×
tyres	9	0.8	0.3×

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 SES 125-2 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 SES 125-2.

Pass rate by registration year

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

Best year to buy used: 2002 (77.7% pass). Weakest: 2003 (75.7%).

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 SES 125-2 FAQ

answers computed from the data above · terms in the glossary

Is the HONDA SES 125-2 reliable?

The HONDA SES 125-2 is more reliable than average for its class: 77.0% of its 3,089 MOT tests (2005–2025) passed first time, against a class average of 73.4%. That ranks it #4065 of 5426 models.

What does a SES 125-2 fail its MOT on most?

brakes — 32% of all defects recorded against failed SES 125-2 tests.

How many miles will a SES 125-2 last?

The median SES 125-2 shows 14,820 miles at test, and examples around 50k miles still pass 56.8% of the time — mileage alone rarely kills one.