HONDA SH 125 C

125cc Petrol Class 1

#3399 of 5426 overall #590 of 921 HONDAs #80 of 734 commuter bikes

80.9%

first-time pass rate

10.4%

failed outright

16,000

median miles at test

1,379

MOT tests, 2005–2025

Pass rate over time

first-time pass rate by test year · 2015–2025

The SH 125 C's first-time pass rate has risen 2.2 points since 2015, 82.1% to 84.3%.

Pass rate by mileage

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

A low-mileage SH 125 C passes first time 85.5% of the time; by 50k that's 76.9%.

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 C

failure defects by component group · advisories excluded

Component group	Defects	% of defects	vs all bikes
brakes	81	28.2	1.1×
lamps and reflectors	55	19.2	1.8×
tyres	30	10.5	2.8×
suspension	29	10.1	2.3×
lighting and signalling	27	9.4	0.4×
tyres and wheels	26	9.1	0.9×
steering and suspension	19	6.6	0.4×
steering	13	4.5	2.1×
structure and attachments	4	1.4	0.4×
Identification of the vehicle	3	1	0.9×

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 C 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 C.

Pass rate by registration year

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

Best year to buy used: 2012 (80.9% pass). Weakest: 2012 (80.9%).

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 C FAQ

answers computed from the data above · terms in the glossary

Is the HONDA SH 125 C reliable?

The HONDA SH 125 C is more reliable than average for its class: 80.9% of its 1,379 MOT tests (2005–2025) passed first time, against a class average of 73.4%. That ranks it #3399 of 5426 models.

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

brakes — 28% of all defects recorded against failed SH 125 C tests.

How many miles will a SH 125 C last?

The median SH 125 C shows 16,000 miles at test, and examples around 50k miles still pass 76.9% of the time — mileage alone rarely kills one.