HONDA SES 125-3

125cc Petrol Class 1

#4077 of 5426 overall #781 of 921 HONDAs #184 of 734 commuter bikes

76.9%

first-time pass rate

15.4%

failed outright

13,491

median miles at test

3,719

MOT tests, 2005–2025

Pass rate over time

first-time pass rate by test year · 2006–2023

The SES 125-3's first-time pass rate has fallen 10.8 points since 2006, 81.5% to 70.7%.

Pass rate by mileage

how the SES 125-3's first-time pass rate falls with the odometer · class average 73.4%

A low-mileage SES 125-3 passes first time 85.4% of the time; by 50k that's 76.8%.

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 125-3

failure defects by component group · advisories excluded

Component group	Defects	% of defects	vs all bikes
brakes	442	33.3	1.9×
lighting and signalling	356	26.8	1.6×
steering and suspension	243	18.3	1.6×
tyres and wheels	158	11.9	1.9×
lamps and reflectors	33	2.5	0.5×
suspension	30	2.3	0.8×
tyres	19	1.4	0.6×
reg plates and vin	19	1.4	0.8×
body and structure	17	1.3	0.9×
fuel and exhaust	10	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 125-3 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 125-3.

Pass rate by registration year

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

Best year to buy used: 2003 (77.4% pass). Weakest: 2004 (71.8%).

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 SES 125-3 FAQ

answers computed from the data above · terms in the glossary

Is the HONDA SES 125-3 reliable?

The HONDA SES 125-3 is more reliable than average for its class: 76.9% of its 3,719 MOT tests (2005–2025) passed first time, against a class average of 73.4%. That ranks it #4077 of 5426 models.

What does a SES 125-3 fail its MOT on most?

brakes — 33% of all defects recorded against failed SES 125-3 tests.

How many miles will a SES 125-3 last?

The median SES 125-3 shows 13,491 miles at test, and examples around 50k miles still pass 76.8% of the time — mileage alone rarely kills one.