Honda CB500
Real ownership data from 16,320 UK CB500 motorcycles — mileage, MOT pass rates and the faults that actually come up, taken from DVSA test records rather than opinion.
Most common CB500 problems
Ranked by how often each fault appears in this model's MOT history.
| Fault | Severity | Share of faults |
|---|---|---|
| Lights and indicators | dangerous | 2.7% |
| Controls and cables | fail | 1.4% |
| Tyres | major | 1.4% |
| Electrical | major | 0.8% |
| Brake discs and pads | dangerous | 0.6% |
| Exhaust and emissions | fail | 0.6% |
| Chain and sprockets | dangerous | 0.4% |
| Steering and head bearings | dangerous | 0.4% |
Advisories (wear noted but not failed) are excluded above; the most common is corrosion.
CB500 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 257 | — | — | — |
| 2025 | 593 | 905 mi | — | 100% |
| 2024 | 823 | 3,083 mi | — | 88.89% |
| 2023 | 875 | 6,132 mi | 1,736 | 94.74% |
| 2022 | 735 | 7,462 mi | 1,602 | 95.34% |
| 2021 | 812 | 9,099 mi | 1,599 | 93.99% |
| 2020 | 831 | 10,162 mi | 1,416 | 93.39% |
| 2019 | 840 | 11,665 mi | 1,557 | 92.48% |
| 2018 | 83 | 12,014 mi | 1,460 | 92.19% |
| 2017 | 119 | 12,380 mi | 1,407 | 90.77% |
| 2016 | 182 | 17,514 mi | 1,608 | 88.08% |
| 2015 | 154 | 16,101 mi | 1,657 | 89.2% |
| 2014 | 154 | 16,951 mi | 1,538 | 92.41% |
| 2013 | 711 | 22,078 mi | 1,784 | 88.55% |
| 2012 | 5 | 15,426 mi | 48 | 82.35% |
| 2010 | 5 | 14,217 mi | 242 | 100% |
| 2008 | 8 | 17,256 mi | 1,129 | 80.88% |
| 2007 | 14 | 26,630 mi | 1,424 | 84.27% |
| 2006 | 12 | 39,640 mi | 4,285 | 86.18% |
| 2004 | 6 | 27,925 mi | 18,230 | 86.36% |
CB500 questions, answered with data
What are the most common problems with the Honda CB500?
Across 16,320 UK examples, the most frequently recorded MOT faults are lights and indicators (2.7% of all recorded faults), controls and cables (1.4% of all recorded faults), tyres (1.4% of all recorded faults).
What is average mileage for a Honda CB500?
The median Honda CB500 in the UK has covered 24,221 miles, and typically rides about 1,459 miles a year. Half of all examples fall between 10,861 and 42,165 miles.
Is the Honda CB500 reliable?
82.2% of Honda CB500 MOT tests are passed first time, with an average of 0.91 faults recorded per test. This is measured from DVSA MOT records, not owner opinion.
Based on DVSA MOT test records for 16,320 Honda CB500 motorcycles registered in Great Britain and Northern Ireland. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.