Herald Motor Company SM 125-25B Classic vs Honda CG125

The Honda CG125 passes its MOT first time more often than the Herald Motor Company SM 125-25B Classic: 72.2% vs 69.4%, a 2.8-point lead.

MOT reliability, side by side

first-time pass rate, outright fail rate and tests analysed · 2005–2025

Metric	Herald Motor Company SM 125-25B Classic	Honda CG125
First-time pass rate	69.4%	72.2%
Outright fail rate	22.5%	16.8%
Vs comparable bikes (age & mileage adjusted)	-7.5 pts	+0.7 pts
Engine size	124cc	124cc
Median miles at test	3,297	17,460
MOT tests analysed	173	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.

HERALD MOTOR COMPANY SM 125-25B CLASSIC 69.4% pass · 173 tests HONDA CG125 72.2% pass · 89.3k tests

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