Jinlun JL 250-5 vs Honda CBF250

The Honda CBF250 passes its MOT first time more often than the Jinlun JL 250-5: 84.9% vs 70.8%, a 14.1-point lead.

MOT reliability, side by side

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

Metric	Jinlun JL 250-5	Honda CBF250
First-time pass rate	70.8%	84.9%
Outright fail rate	17.9%	8.1%
Vs comparable bikes (age & mileage adjusted)	-17.9 pts	-1.4 pts
Engine size	234cc	249cc
Rank among all models	#4675 of 5428	#2516 of 5428
Median miles at test	4,068	10,566
MOT tests analysed	312	7,536
Most common failure	steering and suspension	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.

"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	Jinlun JL 250-5	Honda CBF250
2011	72.7%	82.9%
2012	72.7%	83.9%
2013	70.3%	82.9%
2014	55.9%	84.0%

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	Jinlun JL 250-5	Honda CBF250
0k-10k miles	73.6%	88.5%
10k-20k miles	64.1%	82.6%

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

JINLUN JL 250-5 70.8% pass · 312 tests HONDA CBF250 84.9% pass · 7,536 tests

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