Honda GL1000
Real ownership data from 415 UK GL1000 motorcycles — mileage, MOT pass rates and the faults that actually come up, taken from DVSA test records rather than opinion.
Most common GL1000 problems
Ranked by how often each fault appears in this model's MOT history.
| Fault | Severity | Share of faults |
|---|---|---|
| Lights and indicators | major | 13.5% |
| Brakes | major | 12.3% |
| Tyres | fail | 5.5% |
| Suspension | major | 3.9% |
| Other | fail | 3.4% |
| Steering and head bearings | fail | 2.8% |
| Controls and cables | fail | 2.4% |
| Wheels | fail | 1.1% |
Advisories (wear noted but not failed) are excluded above; the most common is suspension.
GL1000 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 | 9 | 34,000 mi | 193 | 76.67% |
| 1998 | 7 | 40,410 mi | 136 | 85.19% |
| 1997 | 7 | 33,848 mi | 148 | 79.41% |
| 1996 | 7 | 48,404 mi | 186 | 83.87% |
| 1995 | 11 | 42,630 mi | 487 | 79.73% |
| 1994 | 6 | 39,504 mi | 377 | 87.8% |
| 1980 | 20 | 41,278 mi | 243 | 79.57% |
| 1979 | 73 | 36,915 mi | 230 | 79.75% |
| 1978 | 55 | 38,640 mi | 275 | 78.8% |
| 1977 | 70 | 40,778 mi | 280 | 87.42% |
| 1976 | 72 | 35,078 mi | 361 | 82.48% |
| 1975 | 25 | 32,189 mi | 280 | 87.5% |
GL1000 questions, answered with data
What are the most common problems with the Honda GL1000?
Across 415 UK examples, the most frequently recorded MOT faults are lights and indicators (13.5% of all recorded faults), brakes (12.3% of all recorded faults), tyres (5.5% of all recorded faults).
What is average mileage for a Honda GL1000?
The median Honda GL1000 in the UK has covered 38,482 miles, and typically rides about 297 miles a year. Half of all examples fall between 26,740 and 52,115 miles.
Is the Honda GL1000 reliable?
82.69% of Honda GL1000 MOT tests are passed first time, with an average of 0.72 faults recorded per test. This is measured from DVSA MOT records, not owner opinion.
Based on DVSA MOT test records for 415 Honda GL1000 motorcycles registered in Great Britain and Northern Ireland. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.