HONDA SH 300 A-8

279cc Petrol Class 2

#1962 of 5426 overall #258 of 921 HONDAs #1190 of 2787 other bikes

86.8%

first-time pass rate

7.4%

failed outright

12,447

median miles at test

1,719

MOT tests, 2005–2025

Pass rate over time

first-time pass rate by test year · 2011–2025

The SH 300 A-8's first-time pass rate has fallen 10.4 points since 2011, 91.5% to 81.1%.

Pass rate by mileage

how the SH 300 A-8's first-time pass rate falls with the odometer · class average 84.9%

A low-mileage SH 300 A-8 passes first time 92.6% of the time; by 40k that's 87.5%.

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 300 A-8

failure defects by component group · advisories excluded

Component group	Defects	% of defects	vs all bikes
brakes	65	34.6	0.7×
lighting and signalling	36	19.1	0.4×
tyres and wheels	32	17	0.8×
lamps and reflectors	17	9	0.6×
steering and suspension	14	7.4	0.3×
tyres	12	6.4	0.9×
suspension	7	3.7	0.4×
body and structure	2	1.1	0.2×
reg plates and vin	2	1.1	0.2×
wheels	1	0.5	1.0×

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 300 A-8 beats 4 of its 4 closest rivals (YAMAHA RD350, YAMAHA YP250, YAMAHA WR250F).

YAMAHA RD350 86.3% pass · 19.6k tests YAMAHA YP250 82.5% pass · 12.4k tests YAMAHA WR250F 78.0% pass · 10.5k tests HONDA XR250 78.8% pass · 9,277 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 300 A-8.

Pass rate by registration year

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

Best year to buy used: 2010 (89.9% pass). Weakest: 2008 (86.4%).

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 300 A-8 FAQ

answers computed from the data above · terms in the glossary

Is the HONDA SH 300 A-8 reliable?

The HONDA SH 300 A-8 is about average for its class: 86.8% of its 1,719 MOT tests (2005–2025) passed first time, against a class average of 84.9%. That ranks it #1962 of 5426 models.

What does a SH 300 A-8 fail its MOT on most?

brakes — 35% of all defects recorded against failed SH 300 A-8 tests.

What is the best year of SH 300 A-8 to buy used?

By first-time pass rate, 2010-registered examples do best (89.9%) and 2008 worst (86.4%). Condition and history still trump the year.

How many miles will a SH 300 A-8 last?

The median SH 300 A-8 shows 12,447 miles at test, and examples around 40k miles still pass 87.5% of the time — mileage alone rarely kills one.