1978 Honda Cb550 — MOT History by Age

How cars manufactured in 1978 perform at MOT as they age

48 years

Current Age

73.5%

Latest Pass Rate

256

Total Tests (All Years)

26,161 mi

Avg Mileage (Latest)

Data from official DVSA MOT testing records

Insufficient data for same-age comparison.

How This Car Ages

Pass rate progression for the 1978 Honda Cb550 as it ages.

31 yrs73.3%

→ ↑0.9%

32 yrs74.2%

→ ↓3.6%

33 yrs70.6%

→ ↓6.1%

34 yrs64.5%

→ ↑11.3%

35 yrs75.8%

→ ↑3.0%

36 yrs78.8%

→ ↑4.5%

37 yrs83.3%

→ ↓9.8%

38 yrs73.5%

📊 View as table

Age	Pass Rate	Tests
31 yrs	73.3%	30
32 yrs	74.2%	31
33 yrs	70.6%	34
34 yrs	64.5%	31
35 yrs	75.8%	33
36 yrs	78.8%	33
37 yrs	83.3%	30
38 yrs	73.5%	34

Pass Rate Trend

How the 1978 Honda Cb550 pass rate changes as it ages, from first MOT to most recent.

📊 View as table

Built	Pass Rate	Tests
2016 (38 yrs)	73.5%	34
2015 (37 yrs)	83.3%	30
2014 (36 yrs)	78.8%	33
2013 (35 yrs)	75.8%	33
2012 (34 yrs)	64.5%	31
2011 (33 yrs)	70.6%	34
2010 (32 yrs)	74.2%	31
2009 (31 yrs)	73.3%	30

Year-by-Year MOT Results

2009

73.3%

Age (yrs) 31Tests 30Avg Mileage 29,467Top Failure Motorcycle lighting and signalling — 20.0%

2010

74.2%

Age (yrs) 32Tests 31Avg Mileage 32,528Top Failure Motorcycle brakes — 12.9%

2011

70.6%

Age (yrs) 33Tests 34Avg Mileage 28,097Top Failure Motorcycle lighting and signalling — 17.6%

2012High Fail Rate

64.5%

Age (yrs) 34Tests 31Avg Mileage 30,666Top Failure Motorcycle lighting and signalling — 19.4%

2013

75.8%

Age (yrs) 35Tests 33Avg Mileage 31,325Top Failure Motorcycle lighting and signalling — 27.3%

2014

78.8%

Age (yrs) 36Tests 33Avg Mileage 31,779Top Failure Motorcycle lighting and signalling — 15.2%

2015

83.3%

Age (yrs) 37Tests 30Avg Mileage 32,855Top Failure Motorcycle brakes — 10.0%

2016

73.5%

Age (yrs) 38Tests 34Avg Mileage 26,161Top Failure Motorcycle lighting and signalling — 17.6%

MOT results for 1978 Honda Cb550 by test year
Test Year▲	Age (yrs)▲▼	Pass Rate▲▼	Tests▲▼	Avg Mileage▲▼	Top Failure▲▼
2009	31	73.3%	30	29,467	Motorcycle lighting and signalling — 20.0%
2010	32	74.2%	31	32,528	Motorcycle brakes — 12.9%
2011	33	70.6%	34	28,097	Motorcycle lighting and signalling — 17.6%
2012	34	64.5%	31	30,666	Motorcycle lighting and signalling — 19.4%
2013	35	75.8%	33	31,325	Motorcycle lighting and signalling — 27.3%
2014	36	78.8%	33	31,779	Motorcycle lighting and signalling — 15.2%
2015	37	83.3%	30	32,855	Motorcycle brakes — 10.0%
2016	38	73.5%	34	26,161	Motorcycle lighting and signalling — 17.6%

Common MOT Failures

Top failure categories across all test years for 1978 Honda Cb550, with age trends.

Motorcycle lighting and signalling

17.5%

— Consistent

Motorcycle steering and suspension

10.0%

↑ Increases with age

Motorcycle brakes

9.5%

— Consistent

Motorcycle fuel and exhaust

9.1%

↑ Increases with age

Motorcycle tyres and wheels

8.7%

— Consistent

How Failures Change With Age

Comparing failure rates between the youngest and oldest test years.

Category	At Youngest	At Oldest	Change	Trend
Motorcycle steering and suspension	6.7% (31 yrs)	14.7% (38 yrs)	+8.0%	🔴 ↑
Motorcycle lighting and signalling	20.0% (31 yrs)	17.6% (38 yrs)	-2.4%	🟢 ↓
Motorcycle brakes	6.7% (31 yrs)	8.8% (38 yrs)	+2.1%	🔴 ↑
Motorcycle tyres and wheels	6.7% (31 yrs)	8.8% (38 yrs)	+2.1%	🔴 ↑

Other Manufacture Years

1977 1978 1979

← Back to Honda Cb550 overview

Looking for the best year to buy? See the full comparison on the Honda Cb550 page →

About This Data

This page shows how Honda Cb550 cars manufactured in 1978 perform at MOT as they age. Data spans from 2009 to 2016, covering 256 tests. Pass rates naturally decline with age as components wear.

Based on DVSA anonymised MOT test data (2005–2024). Crown copyright, Open Government Licence v3.0.