Honda CBR125R MOT pass rate and common failures

Honda CBR125R motorcycles pass the MOT 64.86% of the time, measured across 518 tests in the DVSA record. A further 8.88% passed only after a defect was put right at the test station.

Worse than average: 22 points below the 86.87% figure for all motorcycles tested.
Pass rate 64.86% 336 of 518
Fixed at the station 8.88% passed after an on-the-spot repair
Average mileage at test 22,574 miles
Average age at test 16.79 years old
Engine 125cc MOT class 1 and 2
For sale now 0 Honda CBR125R 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 33.8% of failed tests on this model.
  • Then check has a serious fluid leak and excessively binding, the next two most common reasons.
  • Age matters here: 71.79% of 6-10 year old examples pass, against 62.69% at 16+ years - a gap of 9.1 points.
  • 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 (16.8% of all tests) - not a failure, but money you will spend sooner or later.
  • Average recorded mileage at test is 22,574 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
6-10 years 71.79% 39
11-15 years 68.06% 144
16+ years 62.69% 335

Why the Honda CBR125R 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 33.8% 46
2 Has a serious fluid leak 21.3% 29
3 Excessively binding 17.6% 24
4 Insecure 16.2% 22
5 Inoperative in the case of a single lamp or all lamps 12.5% 17
6 Excessively loose 11% 15
7 Missing 10.3% 14
8 Too low 10.3% 14
9 Does not illuminate by the operation of both brake controls 9.6% 13
10 Too high 8.8% 12

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 16.8% 87
2 Has a serious fluid leak 9.1% 47
3 Excessively binding 8.5% 44
4 Tread depth is below minimum requirements of 1.0mm 8.3% 43
5 Excessively loose 7.9% 41
6 Less than 1.0 mm thick 4.8% 25
7 Worn to excess 4.1% 21
8 Indicates excessive fluctuation of brake effort 3.9% 20
9 Excessively stiff or notchy 3.7% 19
10 Excessively deformed 3.1% 16

Honda CBR125R for sale

No Honda CBR125R 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
Yamaha GPD125-A NMAX 125 · 125cc 8,762 80.8% 45,039
Piaggio VESPA 79-210cc · 79-210cc 8,363 85.42% 11,710
Honda WW · 125cc 7,252 80.32% 40,134
Honda WW 125 A-M · 125cc 5,011 84.06% 29,846
Honda GLR · 125cc 4,737 79.99% 14,642
Honda CBF 100-125cc · 100-125cc 3,204 77% 15,203

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

Honda CBR125R MOT questions

What is the MOT pass rate for the Honda CBR125R?+
64.86% of Honda CBR125R MOT tests end in a pass, based on 518 tests in the DVSA dataset.
What is the most common MOT failure on a Honda CBR125R?+
Not working, which appears in 33.8% of failed tests on this model.
Does the Honda CBR125R get harder to pass as it ages?+
At 16+ years old the pass rate is 62.69%, against 71.79% for examples 6-10 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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