Honda CB500
Real ownership data from 16,374 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Steering and head bearings | user entered | 18% |
| Frame and structure | dangerous | 11.2% |
| Fluid leaks | dangerous | 10.6% |
| Electrical | minor | 10% |
| Fuel system | major | 5.8% |
| Corrosion | fail | 3.6% |
| Lights and indicators | major | 1.9% |
| Brakes | major | 1.8% |
Advisories (wear noted but not failed) are excluded above; the most common is fuel system.
CB500 mileage and reliability by year
Use this to judge whether a specific bike is high or low mileage for its age.
| YearYear | MedianMedian mileage | Mi/yrMiles/year | MOT passFirst-time pass | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 299 | — | — | — |
| 2025 | 595 | 905 mi | — | 100% |
| 2024 | 826 | 3,083 mi | — | 88.89% |
| 2023 | 876 | 6,202 mi | 2,158 | 94.56% |
| 2022 | 737 | 7,491 mi | 1,602 | 95.2% |
| 2021 | 812 | 9,406 mi | 1,583 | 93.88% |
| 2020 | 831 | 10,392 mi | 1,434 | 93.38% |
| 2019 | 841 | 11,908 mi | 1,568 | 92.41% |
| 2018 | 83 | 12,014 mi | 1,460 | 91.95% |
| 2017 | 119 | 12,380 mi | 1,407 | 90.52% |
| 2016 | 182 | 17,514 mi | 1,608 | 88.15% |
| 2015 | 154 | 16,101 mi | 1,657 | 89.04% |
| 2014 | 154 | 16,951 mi | 1,538 | 92.46% |
| 2013 | 711 | 22,344 mi | 1,790 | 88.58% |
| 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 16,374 UK examples, the most frequently recorded MOT faults are steering and head bearings (18% of all recorded faults), frame and structure (11.2% of all recorded faults), fluid leaks (10.6% of all recorded faults).
What is average mileage for a Honda CB500?
The median Honda CB500 in the UK has covered 24,245 miles, and typically rides about 1,461 miles a year. Half of all examples fall between 10,927 and 42,176 miles.
Is the Honda CB500 reliable?
82.23% of Honda CB500 MOT tests are passed first time, with an average of 0.01 faults recorded per test. This is measured from DVSA MOT records, not owner opinion.
Based on DVSA MOT test records for 16,374 Honda CB500 motorcycles registered in Great Britain and Northern Ireland. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.