BIKERELIABILITY Reg check
Head-to-head · 2005–2025

Data as of: DVSA MOT results to 2025

Aprilia Sport City vs Honda CG125

The Aprilia Sport City passes its MOT first time more often than the Honda CG125: 77.3% vs 72.2%, a 5.1-point lead.

MOT reliability, side by side

first-time pass rate, outright fail rate and tests analysed · 2005–2025
Metric Aprilia Sport City Honda CG125
First-time pass rate 77.3% 72.2%
Outright fail rate 16.3% 16.8%
Vs comparable bikes (age & mileage adjusted) +2.6 pts +0.7 pts
Engine size 125cc 124cc
Rank among all models #4013 of 5428 #4568 of 5428
Median miles at test 11,078 17,460
MOT tests analysed 3,292 89,345
Most common failure brakes lighting and signalling

First-time outcomes on normal tests, 2005–2025. "Most common failure" is the component group with the most recorded defects on failed tests. Read pass rates against test counts: a smaller sample is noisier. Source: DVSA anonymised MOT results.

"Vs comparable bikes" is the first-time pass rate minus the rate expected for each bike's own mix of age, mileage and test class, in percentage points: positive means better than comparable bikes. How this works.

What fails, side by side

share of each bike's MOT tests that failed on the component · lower is better
Component Aprilia Sport City Honda CG125
Lights & signalling 7.5% 10.0%
Steering & suspension 7.0% 7.2%
Brakes 5.8% 5.1%
Tyres & wheels 4.6% 4.6%
Structure & body 1.1% 1.9%
Drive system 0% 2.6%
Fuel & exhaust 0.8% 0.9%

A test that fails on two components counts once in each. Component links go to the bikes most likely to fail on it.

Pass rate by test year

first-time MOT pass rate in each calendar year both bikes were tested
Test year Aprilia Sport City Honda CG125
2018 80.7% 72.6%
2019 76.0% 71.8%
2020 83.5% 73.6%
2021 81.6% 73.9%
2022 77.2% 73.5%
2023 71.4% 74.4%
2024 75.0% 73.0%
2025 83.0% 76.4%

Each year mixes bikes of different ages, so a fleet that is getting older tends to slip.

Pass rate by mileage

first-time MOT pass rate by miles on the clock at test
Mileage Aprilia Sport City Honda CG125
0k-10k miles 81.6% 79.3%
10k-20k miles 72.9% 73.0%
20k-30k miles 74.8% 68.3%
30k-40k miles 75.7% 66.4%
40k-50k miles 73.8% 66.2%

Bands with fewer than 30 tests for either bike are left out.

Aprilia Sport City vs Honda CG125 FAQ

answers computed from the data above · terms in the glossary

Which is more reliable, the Aprilia Sport City or the Honda CG125?

The Aprilia Sport City passes its MOT first time more often than the Honda CG125: 77.3% vs 72.2%, a 5.1-point lead. Adjusted for age, mileage and test class, the Aprilia Sport City still comes out ahead: +2.6 points vs comparable bikes for the Aprilia Sport City, +0.7 for the Honda CG125. An MOT checks roadworthiness items, not engine or gearbox internals.

What does the Aprilia Sport City fail its MOT on most?

Lights & signalling: 7.5% of Aprilia Sport City MOT tests failed on it, then steering & suspension (7.0%).

What does the Honda CG125 fail its MOT on most?

Lights & signalling: 10.0% of Honda CG125 MOT tests failed on it, then steering & suspension (7.2%).

Which holds up better at high mileage, the Aprilia Sport City or the Honda CG125?

At 40k-50k miles the Aprilia Sport City passes first time more often: 73.8% for the Aprilia Sport City vs 66.2% for the Honda CG125.

See each bike's full report (trend, mileage curve, failure breakdown and rivals) on its own page.