Should I check the MOT history before buying a 1998 Honda St1100a?

Yes. Look for recurring advisories — slow-building issues like corrosion or brake wear patterns show up years before they become failures. A full MOT history analysis will highlight patterns that a single test result won't reveal.

What corrosion should I look for when inspecting a 1998 Honda St1100a?

Check brake pipes, sills, subframes, and chassis legs. Surface rust is normal at this age; structural rust is a serious problem that is expensive to fix and can fail an MOT.

How are tyres and brakes typically on a 1998 Honda St1100a?

Tyres and brakes are the most common advisory items on vehicles of this age. Budget for replacement if they are near the limit, and factor this into your offer price.

Is the 1998 Honda St1100a reliable?

Based on MOT data from 131 vehicles, the 1998 Honda St1100a has a first-time MOT pass rate of 88.7%, indicating generally reliable for its class. Always check the full MOT history of any specific vehicle before buying.

What are common problems with the 1998 Honda St1100a?

The most frequently recorded MOT issues on the 1998 Honda St1100a are: Front Tyre worn close to the legal limit (69.8% of vehicles), Rear Brake pad(s) close to minimum limit (63.5% of vehicles), Front Brake pad(s) close to minimum limit (54.8% of vehicles). These figures are based on actual MOT test records — search a specific registration on CarHunch to see its individual history.

Do I need an HPI check when buying a 1998 Honda St1100a?

Yes. The MOT history will not show outstanding finance, insurance write-offs, or stolen status. An HPI check covers these areas and should be part of any used car purchase.

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Honda St1100a (1998)

131 real MOT outcomes analysed • 88.7% first-time pass rate

1998 Honda St1100a

CarHunch analysed 131 real MOT records for the 1998 Honda St1100a. Real test outcomes — pass rates, defect profiles, mileage data — from verified DVLA records. Updated as new MOTs are recorded.
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AI Analysis Reliability Overview Common Issues Check a Specific Reg Buyer's Checklist Pass Rate by Fuel Mileage Distribution Still on the Road MOT Averages Compare Models

The 1998 Honda ST1100A struggles on the MOT bench, with a first-time pass rate of just 56.9%—significantly below the UK average of 80%—meaning more than four in ten examples fail their test. The good news is that dangerous defects are relatively rare at 7.6%, so safety isn't the primary concern; instead, you're looking at a bike that accumulates routine wear items.

At around 50,000 miles on the odometer, these machines are well-seasoned, and the data bears that out: the average bike racks up 0.89 failures and 3.6 advisories per test, pointing to age-related decay rather than catastrophic problems. Before buying one, budget for brake work, fluid seals, and exhaust systems, and factor in that most examples will need sorting before they'll pass their next MOT.

We have limited data for the 1998 Honda St1100a — treat the figures below as indicative rather than definitive.

⚠️ Around 1 in 20 of these vehicles have had a dangerous MOT failure at some point — usually tyres or brakes, and often a one-off issue rather than a persistent problem. The group stats won't tell you which one you're looking at.

First-time pass

88.7%

UK average ~80%

Better than average

Dangerous (ever)

7.6%

At least once in MOT history

Check this vehicle

Avg failures / car

0.89

Over 7.3 tests on record

Moderate

Typical mileage

50k

Middle half: 33k–64k

For context

These stats describe 131 vehicles as a group. The specific vehicle you're looking at could be the one good example or the one outlier. Run its registration to find out.

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What tends to go wrong

Across 131 vehicles — figures show how many had each issue flagged at least once in their MOT history.

Tyre wear 69.8%

Front Tyre worn close to the legal limit · Rear Tyre worn close to the legal limit · Front Tyre tread depth is below minimum requirements of 1.0mm · …

Budget for a full set — on a vehicle this age, tyres are expected consumables. An inspection will confirm how much is left.

Brake wear 63.5%

Rear Brake pad(s) close to minimum limit · Front Brake pad(s) close to minimum limit · Rear Brake disc(s) slightly worn · …

Ask the seller when brakes were last serviced. If they don't know, factor in the cost.

Suspension & steering 32.5%

Steering movement slightly 'notchy'

Harder to spot without a ramp — this is a good reason to book a pre-purchase inspection.

Lighting 21.4%

Exhaust slightly deteriorated

Usually cheap to fix. Worth confirming all lights work before collecting.

Exhaust & emissions 15.9%

Exhaust is leaking but is not excessively noisey

Data covers a 3-year window centred on 1998.

See this vehicle's full MOT history & AI hunches

Spot recurring advisories, hidden issues, and how it compares to 131 Honda St1100a cars.

Before you buy a 1998 Honda St1100a

Based on MOT data from 131 vehicles — here's what to check.

📋 Check the full MOT history. 7.6% of these vehicles have had a dangerous defect recorded - recurring advisories often signal problems years before they become failures.
Search the reg on CarHunch for the full MOT history, reliability stats and a free AI-powered analysis of that exact vehicle.
🔍 Brake pipes, sills and subframes are the key areas on a vehicle this age — structural rust is hard to spot without getting underneath. A mechanic will check all of this before you commit, and give you a concrete basis to negotiate on price. Inspection →
📄 Outstanding finance, insurance write-offs and clocking won't appear in the MOT records — a dedicated history check covers all of this. Our link gets you 20% off automatically. History Get 20% off via CarHunch

Pass Rate by Fuel Type

Fuel type	Vehicles	Pass rate	Avg failures
Petrol (99%)	130	88.6%	0.9

Mileage Distribution

Most 1998 Honda St1100a vehicles sit in the blue band. If the vehicle you're looking at is outside it, it's either unusually low or high mileage for its age.

49,932

typical

32,514

low mileage

64,378

high mileage

Half of all 1998 Honda St1100a vehicles fall between 32,514 and 64,378 miles.

Is the mileage you're seeing normal?

✓ Under 32,514 miles — lower than most. Could be great, or could be a vehicle that rarely moved. Check test frequency and mileage progression in the MOT history.

✓ 32,514–64,378 miles — normal for age. This is where most 1998 Honda St1100as sit.

⚠ Over 86,910 miles — higher than typical. Not necessarily a problem, but check service history and look out for advisory build-up on tyres and brakes.

1998 Honda St1100a — Still on the Road

Numbers are thinning — 44% of 1998 Honda St1100as are still active.

Numbers are declining — 20 vehicles still getting MOTs in 2025 (44% of peak).

Based on vehicles from this manufacture year that had at least one MOT test in each calendar year. Data from 2014–2025.
* The 2020 dip reflects the government's COVID-19 MOT exemption, which allowed certificates to be extended by six months — fewer tests were conducted that year.

MOT History Averages

7.3

Avg MOT tests per vehicle

0.89

Avg failures per vehicle

3.6

Avg advisories per vehicle

Other model years — Honda St1100a: All St1100a years → Which year to buy? →

1997 1999

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Compare with another model

See how the 1998 Honda St1100a stacks up against a rival.

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