Honda Cb500s MOT Pass Rate
Overall pass rate across all manufacture years, based on 12,297 real MOT test results. Failure rate: 20.5%.
Data from official DVSA MOT testing records
Honda Cb500s MOT Reliability Overview
The Honda Cb500s is a relatively common sight on UK roads, with 12,297 MOT test results recorded in our database spanning 10 manufacture years. It has an overall MOT pass rate of 79.5% and a failure rate of 20.5%, which is well above the UK average of approximately 37%.
Based on this data, the Honda Cb500s earns a "Excellent" reliability rating. The average Honda Cb500s presents for MOT with approximately 30,475 miles on the clock. Manufacture year matters: 1995 models achieve the highest pass rate at 84.2%, while 1997 models have the lowest at 70.3%. This 13.9 percentage point difference suggests notable variation in build quality or component durability across production years.
The most common MOT failure for the Honda Cb500s is Motorcycle brakes, affecting 12.2% of all tests. Brake-related failures include worn brake pads, corroded brake discs, leaking brake lines, and faulty brake servos. These are safety-critical components — any brake deficiency will result in an MOT fail. The second most common issue is Motorcycle steering and suspension at 10.3%. Motorcycle lighting and signalling rounds out the top three at 9.6%. Together, these top 3 failure categories account for a significant portion of all MOT failures for this model.
Top failures across all manufacture years combined. Individual year pages may show different top failures.
What Fails Most
Best Year to Buy
📈 How Each Vintage Ages
Tracking how each manufacture year's MOT pass rate changes as the car ages. Showing 6 vintages — click year chips to highlight.
Multi-line chart showing how different Honda Cb500s vintages degrade over time, from age 3 to 21 years.
Only vintages with 100+ tests in at least 3 different test years are shown. Fleet average is the UK-wide pass rate for all cars at each age.
📉 How Age Affects Reliability
MOT failure rate by vehicle age for the Honda Cb500s. The dashed red line marks when the manufacturer warranty typically expires (3 years).
Line chart showing MOT failure rate by vehicle age from 6 to 20 years, with warranty expiry marked at 3 years.
💡 What does the warranty cliff mean?
The Honda Cb500s shows a relatively stable failure rate after warranty — the change of 0% is negligible. Peak failure occurs at age 6 (23.4% fail rate).
Note: pass rates may improve for very old vehicles due to survivorship bias — only well-maintained cars remain on the road.
Pass Rate by Manufacture Year
* High Fail Rate badge indicates an MOT pass rate below 65% (failure rate above 35%).
What Fails on This Car?
Click a category to see specific failure items.
View as table
| Rank | Failure Category | Rate (%) | Count |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Motorcycle Brakes | 14.7% | 1,812 |
| 2 | Motorcycle Steering And Suspension | 12.4% | 1,524 |
| 3 | Motorcycle Lighting And Signalling | 10.9% | 1,341 |
| 4 | Motorcycle Tyres And Wheels | 6.7% | 825 |
| 5 | Motorcycle Drive System | 5.0% | 609 |
| 6 | Motorcycle Fuel And Exhaust | 1.6% | 191 |
| 7 | Motorcycle Lamps And Reflectors | 1.2% | 146 |
| 8 | Motorcycle Driving Controls | 0.9% | 115 |
| 9 | Motorcycle Body And Structure | 0.9% | 109 |
| 10 | Motorcycle Structure And Attachments | 0.8% | 93 |
| 11 | Motorcycle Suspension | 0.7% | 81 |
| 12 | Motorcycle Tyres | 0.6% | 73 |
| 13 | Motorcycle Reg Plates And Vin | 0.5% | 65 |
| 14 | Motorcycle Steering | 0.4% | 44 |
| 15 | Items Not Tested | 0.1% | 9 |
Failures per 10,000 Miles
avg. 30,475 miFor every 10,000 miles driven, this shows what percentage of MOT tests fail for each category. This accounts for how far cars are actually driven, not just raw pass/fail counts.
View as table
| Category | Rate / 10K mi | Raw % | Count |
|---|---|---|---|
| Motorcycle brakes | 4.84 | 14.7% | 1,812 |
| Motorcycle steering and suspension | 4.07 | 12.4% | 1,524 |
| Motorcycle lighting and signalling | 3.58 | 10.9% | 1,341 |
| Motorcycle tyres and wheels | 2.20 | 6.7% | 825 |
| Motorcycle drive system | 1.63 | 5.0% | 609 |
| Motorcycle fuel and exhaust | 0.51 | 1.6% | 191 |
| Motorcycle lamps and reflectors | 0.39 | 1.2% | 146 |
| Motorcycle driving controls | 0.31 | 0.9% | 115 |
| Motorcycle body and structure | 0.29 | 0.9% | 109 |
| Motorcycle structure and attachments | 0.25 | 0.8% | 93 |
| Motorcycle suspension | 0.22 | 0.7% | 81 |
| Motorcycle tyres | 0.19 | 0.6% | 73 |
| Motorcycle reg plates and vin | 0.17 | 0.5% | 65 |
| Motorcycle steering | 0.12 | 0.4% | 44 |
| Items Not Tested | 0.02 | 0.1% | 9 |
🚗 Similar Cars to Consider
Mileage at MOT
The average Honda Cb500s has 30,475 miles when tested for MOT.
📊 Mileage-Adjusted Failure Rate
How often this car fails MOT relative to how much it's driven — a fairer comparison than raw pass rate.
The Honda Cb500s has a mileage-adjusted failure rate of 6.73% per 10,000 miles driven. The average across all makes is 5.38%, so this model is worse than average.
About Honda Cb500s MOT Data
The Honda Cb500s is a relatively common sight on UK roads, with 12,297 MOT test results recorded in our database spanning 10 manufacture years. It has an overall MOT pass rate of 79.5% and a failure rate of 20.5%, which is well above the UK average of approximately 37%.
For Honda Cb500s owners, these results suggest a reliable vehicle that generally passes its MOT without major issues. Focus your pre-MOT checks on motorcycle brakes and motorcycle steering and suspension for the best chance of a first-time pass. Use our detailed year-by-year breakdown and failure analysis below to understand how your specific Cb500s is likely to perform.
Motorcycle brakes — 12.2% of failures
Motorcycle brakes issues account for 12.2% of MOT failures on the Honda Cb500s. Brake-related failures include worn brake pads, corroded brake discs, leaking brake lines, and faulty brake servos. These are safety-critical components — any brake deficiency will result in an MOT fail. Typical repair costs: £150–400. Pre-MOT check: Listen for squealing or grinding noises. Check brake pedal feel — if it feels spongy or goes to the floor, have the system inspected immediately. Look at brake pad thickness through the wheel spokes (minimum 3mm).
Motorcycle steering and suspension — 10.3% of failures
Motorcycle steering and suspension issues account for 10.3% of MOT failures on the Honda Cb500s. Suspension failures typically involve worn bushes, leaking shock absorbers, broken coil springs, and damaged suspension arms. These affect ride quality, tyre wear, and road holding. Typical repair costs: £200–500. Pre-MOT check: Look for uneven tyre wear, listen for clunking over bumps, and check if the car pulls to one side. A bouncy ride suggests worn shock absorbers. Visually inspect coil springs for cracks.
Motorcycle lighting and signalling — 9.6% of failures
Motorcycle lighting and signalling issues account for 9.6% of MOT failures on the Honda Cb500s. Motorcycle lighting and signalling issues are a common cause of MOT failure. Regular inspection and maintenance of these components helps ensure your vehicle passes its MOT. Typical repair costs: £100–400. Pre-MOT check: Have this system checked during regular servicing. Look for warning signs like unusual noises, vibrations, or dashboard warning lights.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the MOT pass rate for the Honda Cb500s?
Based on 12,297 MOT tests in our database, the Honda Cb500s has an overall pass rate of 79.5% (20.5% fail rate).
What are the most common MOT failures on a Honda Cb500s?
The top 3 reasons a Honda Cb500s fails its MOT are: 1. Motorcycle brakes (12.2%), 2. Motorcycle steering and suspension (10.3%), 3. Motorcycle lighting and signalling (9.6%). Check these areas before booking your MOT.
Is the Honda Cb500s reliable?
With a 20.5% MOT failure rate, the Cb500s is more reliable than average compared to the UK average of ~40%.
What should I check before an MOT on my Honda Cb500s?
Based on failure data, focus on: Motorcycle brakes (12.2%); Motorcycle steering and suspension (10.3%); Motorcycle lighting and signalling (9.6%). These are the areas most likely to cause a fail. Also check all lights, tyres (minimum 1.6mm tread), and windscreen condition — these are quick wins that apply to all cars.
Based on DVSA anonymised MOT test data (2005–2024). Crown copyright, Open Government Licence v3.0.