The Honda CRF1100L, a versatile adventure motorcycle popular among enthusiasts for its rugged design and performance capabilities, was commonly sold on
Personal Contract Purchase (PCP) and
Hire Purchase (HP) finance agreements during the Financial Conduct Authority's (FCA) investigation period from 6 April 2007 to 1 November 2024. This investigation uncovered widespread mis-selling practices in motor finance arrangements, leading to significant financial losses for many motorcycle owners.
How the Honda CRF1100L was Typically Financed
The Honda CRF1100L was typically financed through PCP and HP agreements offered by various lenders including
Black Horse,
Close Brothers Motor Finance,
MotoNovo Finance, and
Moneybarn. These finance options allowed customers to make lower monthly payments compared to outright purchase, with the option to settle any outstanding balance at the end of the agreement. For the Honda CRF1100L, typical financing amounts ranged from £5,000 to £15,000 over a term of 36 to 48 months.
In PCP agreements, customers often faced balloon payments or Guaranteed Minimum Future Value (GMFV) at the end of their finance period. This GMFV was intended to estimate the motorcycle's residual value but could be significantly lower than expected, leaving customers with large outstanding balances if they chose not to extend the agreement.
The FCA Motor Finance Investigation
The FCA launched a full investigation into motor finance arrangements from 6 April 2007 to 1 November 2024. This period saw widespread mis-selling practices, primarily through
discretionary commission arrangements (DCAs). These DCAs allowed dealers and brokers to earn additional income based on the type of finance agreement chosen by customers, often incentivising them to recommend more expensive options.
The investigation uncovered that 12.1 million eligible agreements (FCA, March 2026) across this period (FCA estimate), with total losses estimated at £7.5 billion (FCA, March 2026). On average, each affected customer lost around £829 (FCA estimate).
How to Check Your Agreement Look for any mention of DCAs or similar commission arrangements that may have influenced the type of finance offered to you. ensure that the dates on your agreement fall within the FCA investigation period from 6 April 2007 to 1 November 2024.
If your agreement includes a DCA clause and was arranged during this timeframe, there is a strong possibility it may have been mis-sold. You can also check if any of the common lenders for Honda motorcycles-such as Black Horse, Close Brothers Motor Finance, MotoNovo Finance, or Moneybarn-were involved in providing your finance.
If you believe your Honda CRF1100L finance agreement was mis-sold and falls within the FCA investigation period, you can complain directly to your lender without needing a
claims management company. Common lenders such as Black Horse, Close Brothers Motor Finance, MotoNovo Finance, or Moneybarn offer free complaint procedures that allow you to address any concerns about your finance arrangement.
You do not need a claims management company to handle your complaint; contacting the lender directly is sufficient and often more efficient. Many lenders have dedicated teams and processes in place to resolve complaints fairly and transparently. Follow their specific guidance on how to submit a formal complaint, including any required documentation or forms.
Sources and References
- Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), 2024
- Office for National Statistics (ONS) Census 2021
Based on 5,748 MOT tests conducted in 2024 (source: DVSA anonymised test data), the Honda Crf has a pass rate of 95.5%. This is above the national average of 79.6%, meaning the Crf performs well in MOT testing.
The Crf pass rate is better than the overall Honda average of 82.7%. The average mileage at MOT for this model is 12,279 miles.
- MOT pass rate: 95.5%
- MOT failure rate: 4.5%
- Tests analysed: 5,748 (2024 DVSA data)
- Average mileage at test: 12,279 miles
- Honda average pass rate: 82.7%
- National average pass rate: 79.6%
Data source: DVSA anonymised MOT test results 2024, published under the Open Government Licence v3.0.