Honda CMX 500 A-X MOT pass rate and common failures

Honda CMX 500 A-X motorcycles pass the MOT 91.47% of the time, measured across 996 tests in the DVSA record. A further 2.51% passed only after a defect was put right at the test station.

Better than average: 4.6 points above the 86.87% figure for all motorcycles tested.
Pass rate 91.47% 911 of 996
Fixed at the station 2.51% passed after an on-the-spot repair
Average mileage at test 9,659 miles
Average age at test 7.26 years old
Engine 471cc MOT class 1 and 2
For sale now 0 Honda CMX 500 A-X 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 13.3% of failed tests on this model.
  • Then check has a serious fluid leak and missing, 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 (6.6% of all tests) - not a failure, but money you will spend sooner or later.
  • Average recorded mileage at test is 9,659 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 84.85% 33
6-10 years 91.69% 963

Why the Honda CMX 500 A-X 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 13.3% 8
2 Has a serious fluid leak 11.7% 7
3 Missing 11.7% 7
4 Not working on dipped beam 11.7% 7
5 Tread depth is below minimum requirements of 1.0mm 11.7% 7
6 Does not conform to the specified requirements 10% 6
7 Less than 1.0 mm thick 10% 6
8 Projected beam image obviously incorrect 8.3% 5
9 Too low 8.3% 5
10 Excessively loose 6.7% 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 6.6% 66
2 Tread depth is below minimum requirements of 1.0mm 6.3% 63
3 Less than 1.0 mm thick 3% 30
4 Excessively loose 2.4% 24
5 Has a serious fluid leak 1.7% 17
6 Worn to excess 1.7% 17
7 Indicates excessive fluctuation of brake effort 1.1% 11
8 Is bent and the brake cannot be readily applied 0.8% 8
9 Tread not clearly visible 0.7% 7
10 Significantly and obviously worn 0.5% 5

Honda CMX 500 A-X for sale

No Honda CMX 500 A-X 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
Suzuki GSF600 · 600cc 4,890 80% 29,308
Honda CBR600F · 599cc 4,710 85.56% 30,651
Suzuki GSXR600 · 599cc 3,831 81.83% 25,077
Honda CBR 471-650cc · 471-650cc 3,603 86.48% 17,329
Yamaha FZS600 · 599cc 3,548 84.02% 32,611

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

Honda CMX 500 A-X MOT questions

What is the MOT pass rate for the Honda CMX 500 A-X?+
91.47% of Honda CMX 500 A-X MOT tests end in a pass, based on 996 tests in the DVSA dataset.
What is the most common MOT failure on a Honda CMX 500 A-X?+
Not working, which appears in 13.3% of failed tests on this model.
Does the Honda CMX 500 A-X get harder to pass as it ages?+
At 6-10 years old the pass rate is 91.69%, against 84.85% 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.
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