Honda CBR1000F-J vs Yamaha YZF-R1

The Yamaha YZF-R1 passes its MOT first time more often than the Honda CBR1000F-J: 84.1% vs 76.4%, a 7.7-point lead.

MOT reliability, side by side

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

Metric	Honda CBR1000F-J	Yamaha YZF-R1
First-time pass rate	76.4%	84.1%
Outright fail rate	16.7%	7.8%
Vs comparable bikes (age & mileage adjusted)	-3.5 pts	-0.5 pts
Engine size	999cc	998cc
Rank among all models	#4137 of 5428	#2721 of 5428
Median miles at test	43,135	16,705
MOT tests analysed	263	231,553
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.

Pass rate by mileage

first-time MOT pass rate by miles on the clock at test

Mileage	Honda CBR1000F-J	Yamaha YZF-R1
20k-30k miles	79.4%	82.4%
30k-40k miles	74.2%	80.2%
40k-50k miles	72.9%	78.8%
50k-60k miles	81.0%	78.1%

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

HONDA CBR1000F-J 76.4% pass · 263 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.