Honda NC MOT pass rate and common failures

Honda NC motorcycles pass the MOT 89.53% of the time, measured across 5,311 tests in the DVSA record. A further 3.31% passed only after a defect was put right at the test station.

About average - within 2.7 points of the 86.87% figure for all motorcycles tested.
Pass rate 89.53% 4,755 of 5,311
Fixed at the station 3.31% passed after an on-the-spot repair
Average mileage at test 22,765 miles
Average age at test 8.64 years old
Engine 741cc MOT class 1 and 2
For sale now 0 Honda NC adverts

What to check before the MOT

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

  • Start with has a serious fluid leak - it accounts for 27.1% of failed tests on this model.
  • Then check tread depth is below minimum requirements of 1.0mm and has excessive play, the next two most common reasons.
  • The most common advisory is tread depth is below minimum requirements of 1.0mm (7.1% of all tests) - not a failure, but money you will spend sooner or later.
  • Average recorded mileage at test is 22,765 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 92.84% 433
6-10 years 89.47% 4,262
11-15 years 87.91% 604

Why the Honda NC 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 Has a serious fluid leak 27.1% 103
2 Tread depth is below minimum requirements of 1.0mm 18.9% 72
3 Has excessive play 15.5% 59
4 Less than 1.0 mm thick 15.3% 58
5 Not working 11.1% 42
6 Excessively loose 8.9% 34
7 Inoperative in the case of a single lamp or all lamps 7.6% 29
8 Too high 7.1% 27
9 Excessively binding 6.6% 25
10 Indicates excessive fluctuation of brake effort 6.6% 25

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 7.1% 376
2 Indicates excessive fluctuation of brake effort 4.4% 235
3 Less than 1.0 mm thick 4% 210
4 Has a serious fluid leak 3.8% 203
5 Excessively loose 3.4% 180
6 Worn to excess 2.5% 131
7 Noise is clearly in excess of that emitted by a similar motorcycle fitted with a standard silencer in average condition 2% 106
8 Has excessive play 1.7% 88
9 Tread not clearly visible 1.5% 79
10 Significantly and obviously worn 1.4% 77

Honda NC for sale

No Honda NC in stock at the moment - 73 other Honda bikes are advertised.

Similar bikes compared

Models of comparable capacity, so the comparison means something.

Model Tests Pass rate   Avg mileage
Triumph BONNEVILLE 642-904cc · 642-904cc 12,456 90.8% 12,824
Yamaha MT 800-1000cc · 800-1000cc 5,720 90.98% 16,130
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
Honda CBR900RR · 923cc 4,492 89% 30,368

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

Honda NC MOT questions

What is the MOT pass rate for the Honda NC?+
89.53% of Honda NC MOT tests end in a pass, based on 5,311 tests in the DVSA dataset.
What is the most common MOT failure on a Honda NC?+
Has a serious fluid leak, which appears in 27.1% of failed tests on this model.
Does the Honda NC get harder to pass as it ages?+
At 11-15 years old the pass rate is 87.91%, against 92.84% 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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