Lifan LF 125 T-26 Aero vs Honda CBF125

The Honda CBF125 passes its MOT first time more often than the Lifan LF 125 T-26 Aero: 73.3% vs 59.5%, a 13.8-point lead.

MOT reliability, side by side

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

Metric	Lifan LF 125 T-26 Aero	Honda CBF125
First-time pass rate	59.5%	73.3%
Outright fail rate	29.7%	16.5%
Vs comparable bikes (age & mileage adjusted)	-11.7 pts	+1.1 pts
Engine size	125cc	125cc
Rank among all models	#5230 of 5428	#4471 of 5428
Median miles at test	10,748	10,974
MOT tests analysed	343	84,425
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	Lifan LF 125 T-26 Aero	Honda CBF125
2014	63.8%	72.0%
2015	56.6%	71.8%
2016	57.3%	72.2%
2017	51.3%	71.3%

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	Lifan LF 125 T-26 Aero	Honda CBF125
0k-10k miles	66.3%	80.3%
10k-20k miles	52.3%	68.7%
20k-30k miles	55.6%	65.5%

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

LIFAN LF 125 T-26 AERO 59.5% pass · 343 tests HONDA CBF125 73.3% pass · 84.4k tests

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