Husqvarna Svartpilen 401 2018 vs Honda CB400

The Husqvarna Svartpilen 401 2018 passes its MOT first time more often than the Honda CB400: 85.8% vs 80.9%, a 4.9-point lead.

MOT reliability, side by side

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

Metric	Husqvarna Svartpilen 401 2018	Honda CB400
First-time pass rate	85.8%	80.9%
Outright fail rate	7.6%	11.0%
Vs comparable bikes (age & mileage adjusted)	-3.2 pts	-1.6 pts
Engine size	373cc	400cc
Rank among all models	#2266 of 5428	#3398 of 5428
Median miles at test	3,906	30,796
MOT tests analysed	422	9,072
Most common failure	lamps and reflectors	steering and suspension

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	Husqvarna Svartpilen 401 2018	Honda CB400
2021	84.8%	86.7%
2022	85.6%	85.8%
2023	81.9%	90.4%
2024	85.0%	79.1%
2025	93.2%	86.4%

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	Husqvarna Svartpilen 401 2018	Honda CB400
0k-10k miles	87.5%	80.9%
10k-20k miles	73.0%	83.0%

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

HUSQVARNA SVARTPILEN 401 2018 85.8% pass · 422 tests HONDA CB400 80.9% pass · 9,072 tests

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