Honda CB 650 RA-K MOT pass rate and common failures

Honda CB 650 RA-K motorcycles pass the MOT 89.15% of the time, measured across 1,060 tests in the DVSA record. A further 4.62% passed only after a defect was put right at the test station.

About average - within 2.3 points of the 86.87% figure for all motorcycles tested.

Pass rate 89.15% 945 of 1,060

Fixed at the station 4.62% passed after an on-the-spot repair

Average mileage at test 11,647 miles

Average age at test 5.57 years old

Engine 649cc MOT class 1 and 2

For sale now 0 Honda CB 650 RA-K adverts

What to check before the MOT

Built from this model's own failure record, not general advice.

Start with missing - it accounts for 39.4% of failed tests on this model.
Then check has excessive play and less than 1.0 mm thick, the next two most common reasons.
The most common advisory is tread depth is below minimum requirements of 1.0mm (6.6% of all tests) - not a failure, but money you will spend sooner or later.
Average recorded mileage at test is 11,647 miles, which is the number to compare any advert against.

Pass rate by age

A single pass rate hides the most useful thing in this data: how the same model behaves at three years old and at fifteen.

Age at test	Pass rate		Tests
3-5 years	89.44%		720
6-10 years	88.53%		340

Why the Honda CB 650 RA-K fails

Share of failed tests on this model where the item was recorded. One test can fail on several items, so the column does not add up to 100%.

#	Item	Of failures	Tests
1	Missing	39.4%	26
2	Has excessive play	19.7%	13
3	Less than 1.0 mm thick	18.2%	12
4	Tread depth is below minimum requirements of 1.0mm	16.7%	11
5	Indicates excessive fluctuation of brake effort	12.1%	8
6	Has a serious fluid leak	10.6%	7
7	Not working	10.6%	7
8	Does not conform to the specified requirements	9.1%	6
9	Excessively binding	9.1%	6
10	Excessively loose	9.1%	6

Most common advisories

Not a failure and not a legal requirement to fix - but an advisory that repeats year after year is money the next owner spends.

#	Item	Of all tests	Tests
1	Tread depth is below minimum requirements of 1.0mm	6.6%	70
2	Noise is clearly in excess of that emitted by a similar motorcycle fitted with a standard silencer in average condition	5.9%	63
3	Less than 1.0 mm thick	4.2%	45
4	Indicates excessive fluctuation of brake effort	4%	42
5	Excessively loose	3.3%	35
6	Excessively binding	3.2%	34
7	Excessively stiff or notchy	2.3%	24
8	Is bent and the brake cannot be readily applied	1.7%	18
9	Has excessive play	1.4%	15
10	Tread not clearly visible	1.2%	13

Honda CB 650 RA-K for sale

No Honda CB 650 RA-K in stock at the moment - 74 other Honda bikes are advertised.

Used Honda CB 650 RA-K Used Honda All Honda Honda MOT statistics

Similar bikes compared

Models of comparable capacity, so the comparison means something.

Model	Tests	Pass rate	Avg mileage
Honda CB 397-750cc · 397-750cc	5,400	89.76%	19,444
Honda NC · 741cc	5,311	89.53%	22,765
Suzuki GSF600 · 600cc	4,890	80%	29,308
Honda CBR600F · 599cc	4,710	85.56%	30,651
Kawasaki ZX-6R · 599-636cc	4,510	81.62%	26,019
Suzuki SV650 · 646cc	3,834	80.99%	27,644

Source: DVSA MOT testing data, 2025 · updated Aug 2026 · licence and method

Honda CB 650 RA-K MOT questions

What is the MOT pass rate for the Honda CB 650 RA-K?+

89.15% of Honda CB 650 RA-K MOT tests end in a pass, based on 1,060 tests in the DVSA dataset.

What is the most common MOT failure on a Honda CB 650 RA-K?+

Missing, which appears in 39.4% of failed tests on this model.

Does the Honda CB 650 RA-K get harder to pass as it ages?+

At 6-10 years old the pass rate is 88.53%, against 89.44% for examples 3-5 years old.

Where does this data come from?+

From the DVSA anonymised MOT testing dataset, which records every MOT carried out in England, Scotland and Wales. It is published under the Open Government Licence and covers 2025.

Does a high pass rate mean the bike is reliable?+

Not by itself. The MOT checks safety items - brakes, tyres, lights, structure - and says nothing about engines, gearboxes or electrics. Read it as a maintenance signal, not a reliability score.