Honda CBF1000 MOT pass rate and common failures

Honda CBF1000 motorcycles pass the MOT 87.39% of the time, measured across 452 tests in the DVSA record. A further 5.31% passed only after a defect was put right at the test station.

About average - within 0.5 points of the 86.87% figure for all motorcycles tested.
Pass rate 87.39% 395 of 452
Fixed at the station 5.31% passed after an on-the-spot repair
Average mileage at test 29,818 miles
Average age at test 16.61 years old
Engine 998cc MOT class 2
For sale now 1 Honda CBF1000 adverts

What to check before the MOT

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

  • Start with not working - it accounts for 51.5% of failed tests on this model.
  • Then check less than 1.0 mm thick and too low, the next two most common reasons.
  • Age matters here: 91.24% of 11-15 year old examples pass, against 85.25% at 16+ years - a gap of 6 points.
  • The most common advisory is tread depth is below minimum requirements of 1.0mm (7.5% of all tests) - not a failure, but money you will spend sooner or later.
  • Average recorded mileage at test is 29,818 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
11-15 years 91.24% 137
16+ years 85.25% 305

Why the Honda CBF1000 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 Not working 51.5% 17
2 Less than 1.0 mm thick 36.4% 12
3 Too low 24.2% 8
4 Tread depth is below minimum requirements of 1.0mm 24.2% 8
5 Does not illuminate by the operation of both brake controls 18.2% 6
6 Has a serious fluid leak 15.2% 5
7 Excessively loose 12.1% 4
8 Has excessive play 12.1% 4
9 Has ply or cord exposed 9.1% 3
10 The less effective brake control does not achieve an efficiency of 25% 9.1% 3

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 7.5% 34
2 Excessively loose 5.3% 24
3 Less than 1.0 mm thick 4.4% 20
4 Has a serious fluid leak 3.8% 17
5 Excessively binding 3.5% 16
6 Excessively stiff or notchy 3.5% 16
7 Indicates excessive fluctuation of brake effort 2.4% 11
8 Tread not clearly visible 1.8% 8
9 Is bent and the brake cannot be readily applied 1.5% 7
10 Worn to excess 1.5% 7

Honda CBF1000 for sale

1 Honda CBF1000 adverts on MotoDealers UK right now, 73 Honda in total.

Similar bikes compared

Models of comparable capacity, so the comparison means something.

Model Tests Pass rate   Avg mileage
Triumph TIGER · 969cc 16,144 91.27% 22,934
Triumph BONNEVILLE 642-904cc · 642-904cc 12,456 90.8% 12,824
BMW R SERIES · 1,152cc 9,796 91.92% 40,594
BMW R1200 · 1,170cc 9,521 94.43% 28,830
BMW S 1000 · 999cc 8,445 91.96% 15,282
BMW R1250 · 1,254cc 6,764 96.17% 17,373

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

Honda CBF1000 MOT questions

What is the MOT pass rate for the Honda CBF1000?+
87.39% of Honda CBF1000 MOT tests end in a pass, based on 452 tests in the DVSA dataset.
What is the most common MOT failure on a Honda CBF1000?+
Not working, which appears in 51.5% of failed tests on this model.
Does the Honda CBF1000 get harder to pass as it ages?+
At 16+ years old the pass rate is 85.25%, against 91.24% for examples 11-15 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.
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