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

Honda CBR 650 RA-M motorcycles pass the MOT 87.78% of the time, measured across 499 tests in the DVSA record. A further 6.41% passed only after a defect was put right at the test station.

About average - within 0.9 points of the 86.87% figure for all motorcycles tested.
Pass rate 87.78% 438 of 499
Fixed at the station 6.41% passed after an on-the-spot repair
Average mileage at test 8,713 miles
Average age at test 3.87 years old
Engine 649cc MOT class 1 and 2
For sale now 0 Honda CBR 650 RA-M adverts

What to check before the MOT

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

  • Start with missing - it accounts for 82.8% of failed tests on this model.
  • Then check inoperative in the case of a single lamp or all lamps 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 (8% of all tests) - not a failure, but money you will spend sooner or later.
  • Average recorded mileage at test is 8,713 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 87.78% 499

Why the Honda CBR 650 RA-M 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 82.8% 24
2 Inoperative in the case of a single lamp or all lamps 24.1% 7
3 Does not conform to the specified requirements 20.7% 6
4 Tread depth is below minimum requirements of 1.0mm 20.7% 6
5 Excessively loose 13.8% 4
6 Grip insecure to handlebar 13.8% 4
7 Indicates excessive fluctuation of brake effort 13.8% 4
8 Less than 1.0 mm thick 13.8% 4
9 Excessively binding 10.3% 3
10 Too low 10.3% 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 Noise is clearly in excess of that emitted by a similar motorcycle fitted with a standard silencer in average condition 8% 40
2 Tread depth is below minimum requirements of 1.0mm 7.4% 37
3 Indicates excessive fluctuation of brake effort 4% 20
4 Excessively binding 3.2% 16
5 Excessively loose 2.2% 11
6 Less than 1.0 mm thick 2.2% 11
7 Is bent and the brake cannot be readily applied 1.2% 6
8 Tread not clearly visible 1% 5
9 Excessively deformed 0.8% 4
10 Excessively stiff or notchy 0.8% 4

Honda CBR 650 RA-M for sale

No Honda CBR 650 RA-M 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-M MOT questions

What is the MOT pass rate for the Honda CBR 650 RA-M?+
87.78% of Honda CBR 650 RA-M MOT tests end in a pass, based on 499 tests in the DVSA dataset.
What is the most common MOT failure on a Honda CBR 650 RA-M?+
Missing, which appears in 82.8% of failed tests on this model.
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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