HONDA SH 125 AD-L

125cc Petrol Class 1

#2196 of 5426 overall #312 of 921 HONDAs #17 of 734 commuter bikes

86.0%

first-time pass rate

9.9%

failed outright

30,751

median miles at test

4,041

MOT tests, 2005–2025

Pass rate over time

first-time pass rate by test year · 2021–2025

The SH 125 AD-L's first-time pass rate has risen 1.9 points since 2021, 84.0% to 85.9%.

Pass rate by mileage

how the SH 125 AD-L's first-time pass rate falls with the odometer · class average 73.4%

A low-mileage SH 125 AD-L passes first time 93.9% of the time; by 50k that's 81.6%.

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 SH 125 AD-L

failure defects by component group · advisories excluded

Component group	Defects	% of defects	vs all bikes
brakes	235	30.2	0.9×
lamps and reflectors	202	25.9	2.7×
tyres	127	16.3	4.3×
suspension	92	11.8	2.5×
steering	83	10.7	4.3×
structure and attachments	20	2.6	0.7×
wheels	8	1	3.3×
Identification of the vehicle	8	1	0.9×
audible warning (Horn)	4	0.5	0.5×

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 SH 125 AD-L 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 SH 125 AD-L.

Pass rate by registration year

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

Best year to buy used: 2020 (86.3% pass). Weakest: 2021 (85.8%).

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 SH 125 AD-L FAQ

answers computed from the data above · terms in the glossary

Is the HONDA SH 125 AD-L reliable?

The HONDA SH 125 AD-L is more reliable than average for its class: 86.0% of its 4,041 MOT tests (2005–2025) passed first time, against a class average of 73.4%. That ranks it #2196 of 5426 models.

What does a SH 125 AD-L fail its MOT on most?

brakes — 30% of all defects recorded against failed SH 125 AD-L tests.

How many miles will a SH 125 AD-L last?

The median SH 125 AD-L shows 30,751 miles at test, and examples around 50k miles still pass 81.6% of the time — mileage alone rarely kills one.