HONDA XL 125 V-7

125cc Petrol Class 1

#4370 of 5426 overall #835 of 921 HONDAs #253 of 734 commuter bikes

74.3%

first-time pass rate

18.0%

failed outright

16,426

median miles at test

2,385

MOT tests, 2005–2025

Pass rate over time

first-time pass rate by test year · 2010–2025

The XL 125 V-7's first-time pass rate has risen 3.7 points since 2010, 75.0% to 78.7%.

Pass rate by mileage

how the XL 125 V-7's first-time pass rate falls with the odometer · class average 73.4%

A low-mileage XL 125 V-7 passes first time 83.0% of the time; by 50k that's 70.0%.

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 XL 125 V-7

failure defects by component group · advisories excluded

Component group	Defects	% of defects	vs all bikes
brakes	361	36.3	2.4×
steering and suspension	135	13.6	1.4×
lighting and signalling	99	10	0.8×
drive system	88	8.9	3.5×
lamps and reflectors	82	8.2	1.6×
tyres and wheels	76	7.6	1.4×
suspension	56	5.6	2.3×
structure and attachments	43	4.3	2.0×
steering	35	3.5	2.5×
tyres	19	1.9	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 XL 125 V-7 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 XL 125 V-7.

Pass rate by registration year

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

Best year to buy used: 2008 (77.8% pass). Weakest: 2007 (73.3%).

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 XL 125 V-7 FAQ

answers computed from the data above · terms in the glossary

Is the HONDA XL 125 V-7 reliable?

The HONDA XL 125 V-7 is about average for its class: 74.3% of its 2,385 MOT tests (2005–2025) passed first time, against a class average of 73.4%. That ranks it #4370 of 5426 models.

What does a XL 125 V-7 fail its MOT on most?

brakes — 36% of all defects recorded against failed XL 125 V-7 tests.

How many miles will a XL 125 V-7 last?

The median XL 125 V-7 shows 16,426 miles at test, and examples around 50k miles still pass 70.0% of the time — mileage alone rarely kills one.