Honda CBR1100X vs Yamaha YZF-R1

The Honda CBR1100X passes its MOT first time more often than the Yamaha YZF-R1: 89.5% vs 84.1%, a 5.4-point lead.

MOT reliability, side by side

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

Metric	Honda CBR1100X	Yamaha YZF-R1
First-time pass rate	89.5%	84.1%
Outright fail rate	7.2%	7.8%
Vs comparable bikes (age & mileage adjusted)	+6.2 pts	-0.5 pts
Engine size	1,137cc	998cc
Rank among all models	#1113 of 5428	#2721 of 5428
Median miles at test	23,552	16,705
MOT tests analysed	373	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 test year

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

Test year	Honda CBR1100X	Yamaha YZF-R1
2006	90.6%	85.8%
2007	89.5%	84.3%
2008	88.6%	82.2%
2009	78.8%	80.9%

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	Honda CBR1100X	Yamaha YZF-R1
0k-10k miles	94.8%	87.8%
10k-20k miles	94.0%	84.7%
20k-30k miles	91.2%	82.4%
30k-40k miles	78.4%	80.2%
40k-50k miles	78.8%	78.8%

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

HONDA CBR1100X 89.5% pass · 373 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.