Honda CB550K
Real ownership data from 93 UK CB550K motorcycles — mileage, MOT pass rates and the faults that actually come up, taken from DVSA test records rather than opinion.
Most common CB550K problems
Ranked by how often each fault appears in this model's MOT history.
| Fault | Severity | Share of faults |
|---|---|---|
| Lights and indicators | dangerous | 18.4% |
| Brakes | major | 9.2% |
| Other | major | 4.4% |
| Tyres | fail | 3.4% |
| Wheels | fail | 2.4% |
| Exhaust and emissions | major | 2.1% |
| Steering and head bearings | fail | 2% |
| Suspension | fail | 1.7% |
Advisories (wear noted but not failed) are excluded above; the most common is suspension.
CB550K mileage and reliability by year
Use this to judge whether a specific bike is high or low mileage for its age.
| Year | Examples | Median mileage | Miles/year | First-time pass |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1979 | 29 | 28,039 mi | 260 | 81.51% |
| 1978 | 18 | 18,116 mi | 257 | 76.6% |
| 1977 | 23 | 19,713 mi | 194 | 85.33% |
CB550K questions, answered with data
What are the most common problems with the Honda CB550K?
Across 93 UK examples, the most frequently recorded MOT faults are lights and indicators (18.4% of all recorded faults), brakes (9.2% of all recorded faults), other (4.4% of all recorded faults).
What is average mileage for a Honda CB550K?
The median Honda CB550K in the UK has covered 20,939 miles, and typically rides about 261 miles a year. Half of all examples fall between 9,910 and 35,570 miles.
Is the Honda CB550K reliable?
82.21% of Honda CB550K MOT tests are passed first time, with an average of 0.68 faults recorded per test. This is measured from DVSA MOT records, not owner opinion.
Based on DVSA MOT test records for 93 Honda CB550K motorcycles registered in Great Britain and Northern Ireland. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.