Honda CBR 1000 SP-L vs Yamaha YZF-R1

The Honda CBR 1000 SP-L passes its MOT first time more often than the Yamaha YZF-R1: 90.2% vs 84.1%, a 6.1-point lead.

MOT reliability, side by side

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

Metric	Honda CBR 1000 SP-L	Yamaha YZF-R1
First-time pass rate	90.2%	84.1%
Outright fail rate	3.0%	7.8%
Vs comparable bikes (age & mileage adjusted)	+0.8 pts	-0.5 pts
Engine size	1,000cc	998cc
Rank among all models	#884 of 5428	#2721 of 5428
Median miles at test	4,312	16,705
MOT tests analysed	265	231,553
Most common failure	tyres	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.

Pass rate by test year

first-time MOT pass rate in each calendar year both bikes were tested

Test year	Honda CBR 1000 SP-L	Yamaha YZF-R1
2023	91.2%	87.2%
2024	84.1%	88.2%
2025	93.7%	87.9%

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

HONDA CBR 1000 SP-L 90.2% pass · 265 tests YAMAHA YZF-R1 84.1% pass · 232k tests

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