Honda XL 125 V-8 vs Yamaha YBR 125

The Honda XL 125 V-8 passes its MOT first time more often than the Yamaha YBR 125 — 75.9% vs 71.0%, a 4.9-point lead.

MOT reliability, side by side

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

Metric	Honda XL 125 V-8	Yamaha YBR 125
First-time pass rate	75.9%	71.0%
Outright fail rate	17.2%	17.1%
Median miles at test	14,622	10,652
MOT tests analysed	2,260	124,897
Most common failure	brakes	brakes

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.

HONDA XL 125 V-8 75.9% pass · 2,260 tests YAMAHA YBR 125 71.0% pass · 125k tests

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