HONDA SH 125 B

125cc Petrol Class 1

#2960 of 5426 overall #477 of 921 HONDAs #49 of 734 commuter bikes

83.0%

first-time pass rate

9.7%

failed outright

14,951

median miles at test

1,980

MOT tests, 2005–2025

Pass rate over time

first-time pass rate by test year · 2014–2025

The SH 125 B's first-time pass rate has held steady since 2014 (88.5% → 87.9%).

Pass rate by mileage

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

A low-mileage SH 125 B passes first time 86.3% of the time; by 50k that's 78.6%.

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 B

failure defects by component group · advisories excluded

Component group	Defects	% of defects	vs all bikes
brakes	114	30.1	1.1×
lamps and reflectors	80	21.1	1.8×
lighting and signalling	57	15	0.5×
tyres and wheels	36	9.5	0.8×
tyres	27	7.1	1.8×
steering and suspension	22	5.8	0.3×
suspension	19	5	0.8×
steering	13	3.4	1.5×
reg plates and vin	6	1.6	0.4×
structure and attachments	5	1.3	0.4×

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 B 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 B.

Pass rate by registration year

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

Best year to buy used: 2011 (83.1% pass). Weakest: 2012 (82.7%).

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 SH 125 B FAQ

answers computed from the data above · terms in the glossary

Is the HONDA SH 125 B reliable?

The HONDA SH 125 B is more reliable than average for its class: 83.0% of its 1,980 MOT tests (2005–2025) passed first time, against a class average of 73.4%. That ranks it #2960 of 5426 models.

What does a SH 125 B fail its MOT on most?

brakes — 30% of all defects recorded against failed SH 125 B tests.

How many miles will a SH 125 B last?

The median SH 125 B shows 14,951 miles at test, and examples around 50k miles still pass 78.6% of the time — mileage alone rarely kills one.