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

Honda CBR 650 RA-K motorcycles pass the MOT 86.75% of the time, measured across 838 tests in the DVSA record. A further 4.65% passed only after a defect was put right at the test station.

About average - within 0.1 points of the 86.87% figure for all motorcycles tested.
Pass rate 86.75% 727 of 838
Fixed at the station 4.65% passed after an on-the-spot repair
Average mileage at test 10,948 miles
Average age at test 5.55 years old
Engine 649cc MOT class 1 and 2
For sale now 0 Honda CBR 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 63.9% of failed tests on this model.
  • Then check tread depth is below minimum requirements of 1.0mm and does not conform to the specified requirements, the next two most common reasons.
  • The most common advisory is noise is clearly in excess of that emitted by a similar motorcycle fitted with a standard silencer in average condition (11% of all tests) - not a failure, but money you will spend sooner or later.
  • Average recorded mileage at test is 10,948 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 85.64% 571
6-10 years 89.14% 267

Why the Honda CBR 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 63.9% 46
2 Tread depth is below minimum requirements of 1.0mm 19.4% 14
3 Does not conform to the specified requirements 16.7% 12
4 Excessively binding 11.1% 8
5 Not working 9.7% 7
6 Excessively loose 8.3% 6
7 Excessively tight 8.3% 6
8 Has excessive play 8.3% 6
9 Indicates excessive fluctuation of brake effort 8.3% 6
10 Does not illuminate simultaneously with the position lamp(s) 5.6% 4

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 Noise is clearly in excess of that emitted by a similar motorcycle fitted with a standard silencer in average condition 11% 92
2 Tread depth is below minimum requirements of 1.0mm 7% 59
3 Indicates excessive fluctuation of brake effort 4.9% 41
4 Excessively loose 3.9% 33
5 Less than 1.0 mm thick 3.5% 29
6 Excessively binding 3.1% 26
7 Tread not clearly visible 2.1% 18
8 Worn to excess 1.6% 13
9 Excessively stiff or notchy 1.2% 10
10 Has excessive play 1% 8

Honda CBR 650 RA-K for sale

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

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 CBR 650 RA-K MOT questions

What is the MOT pass rate for the Honda CBR 650 RA-K?+
86.75% of Honda CBR 650 RA-K MOT tests end in a pass, based on 838 tests in the DVSA dataset.
What is the most common MOT failure on a Honda CBR 650 RA-K?+
Missing, which appears in 63.9% of failed tests on this model.
Does the Honda CBR 650 RA-K get harder to pass as it ages?+
At 6-10 years old the pass rate is 89.14%, against 85.64% 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.
Top