HONDA Z50J

49cc Petrol Class 1

#524 of 5426 overall #64 of 921 HONDAs #4 of 455 moped bikes

91.7%

first-time pass rate

3.9%

failed outright

1,677

median miles at test

516

MOT tests, 2005–2025

Pass rate over time

first-time pass rate by test year · 2006–2017

The Z50J's first-time pass rate has risen 15.0 points since 2006, 85.0% to 100.0%.

What fails on a Z50J

failure defects by component group · advisories excluded

Component group	Defects	% of defects	vs all bikes
lighting and signalling	18	40	0.5×
steering and suspension	16	35.6	0.5×
reg plates and vin	4	8.9	1.4×
lamps and reflectors	3	6.7	0.4×
driving controls	2	4.4	1.6×
structure and attachments	1	2.2	0.3×
tyres	1	2.2	0.3×

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 Z50J beats 4 of its 4 closest rivals (PEUGEOT SPEEDFIGHT, PIAGGIO ZIP, PIAGGIO NRG).

PEUGEOT SPEEDFIGHT 65.2% pass · 83.7k tests PIAGGIO ZIP 71.3% pass · 79.0k tests PIAGGIO NRG 65.5% pass · 40.5k tests PEUGEOT VIVACITY 70.4% pass · 29.7k 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 Z50J.

Pass rate by registration year

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

Best year to buy used: 2003 (86.3% pass). Weakest: 2003 (86.3%).

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 Z50J FAQ

answers computed from the data above · terms in the glossary

Is the HONDA Z50J reliable?

The HONDA Z50J is more reliable than average for its class: 91.7% of its 516 MOT tests (2005–2025) passed first time, against a class average of 73.4%. That ranks it #524 of 5426 models.

What does a Z50J fail its MOT on most?

lighting and signalling — 40% of all defects recorded against failed Z50J tests.