SYM Symphony 125 SR E4 vs Honda PCX 125

The Honda PCX 125 passes its MOT first time more often than the SYM Symphony 125 SR E4: 81.1% vs 78.9%, a 2.2-point lead.

MOT reliability, side by side

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

Metric	SYM Symphony 125 SR E4	Honda PCX 125
First-time pass rate	78.9%	81.1%
Outright fail rate	14.4%	12.9%
Vs comparable bikes (age & mileage adjusted)	+5.6 pts	+8.2 pts
Engine size	125cc	125cc
Rank among all models	#3788 of 5428	#3358 of 5428
Median miles at test	9,488	16,405
MOT tests analysed	437	88,608
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.

"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	SYM Symphony 125 SR E4	Honda PCX 125
2021	82.0%	80.3%
2022	72.3%	80.3%
2023	79.4%	80.2%
2024	74.1%	80.9%
2025	82.1%	81.6%

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	SYM Symphony 125 SR E4	Honda PCX 125
0k-10k miles	83.6%	88.4%
10k-20k miles	73.7%	79.3%
20k-30k miles	74.5%	78.0%

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

SYM SYMPHONY 125 SR E4 78.9% pass · 437 tests HONDA PCX 125 81.1% pass · 88.6k tests

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