HONDA VT500EF

499cc Petrol Class 2

#4380 of 5426 overall #838 of 921 HONDAs #2695 of 2787 other bikes

74.2%

first-time pass rate

16.9%

failed outright

36,473

median miles at test

236

MOT tests, 2005–2025

Pass rate over time

first-time pass rate by test year · 2006–2007

The VT500EF's first-time pass rate has fallen 13.6 points since 2006, 78.1% to 64.5%.

What fails on a VT500EF

failure defects by component group · advisories excluded

Component group	Defects	% of defects
steering and suspension	32	32
lighting and signalling	30	30
brakes	16	16
tyres and wheels	7	7
body and structure	6	6
fuel and exhaust	3	3
driving controls	3	3
lamps and reflectors	2	2
Items Not Tested	1	1

Defects recorded against failed normal tests, 2005–2025, grouped by DVSA inspection section. One test can record multiple defects.

How rivals compare

same type, similar capacity, high test volume

On first-time pass rate the VT500EF beats 0 of its 4 closest rivals (KAWASAKI ZX-6R, SUZUKI GSF600, YAMAHA FZS600).

KAWASAKI ZX-6R 78.1% pass · 174k tests SUZUKI GSF600 77.3% pass · 143k tests YAMAHA FZS600 82.6% pass · 137k tests SUZUKI SV650S 80.6% pass · 84.6k 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 VT500EF.

Pass rate by registration year

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

Best year to buy used: 1985 (88.5% pass). Weakest: 1987 (67.6%).

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.