Honda VFR
Real ownership data from 753 UK VFR motorcycles — mileage, MOT pass rates and the faults that actually come up, taken from DVSA test records rather than opinion.
Most common VFR problems
Ranked by how often each fault appears in this model's MOT history.
| Fault | Severity | Share of faults |
|---|---|---|
| Lights and indicators | major | 12.4% |
| Other | fail | 4.5% |
| Steering and head bearings | fail | 3.1% |
| Brake discs and pads | dangerous | 2.5% |
| Brakes | major | 2.4% |
| Controls and cables | fail | 1.8% |
| Exhaust and emissions | fail | 1.7% |
| Chain and sprockets | fail | 1.7% |
Advisories (wear noted but not failed) are excluded above; the most common is tyres.
VFR 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2005 | 5 | 18,759 mi | 501 | 86.11% |
| 2004 | 7 | 27,566 mi | 1,101 | 75.93% |
| 2003 | 6 | 29,546 mi | — | 72.73% |
| 2002 | 10 | 16,410 mi | 2,689 | 77.45% |
| 2001 | 26 | 26,358 mi | 1,621 | 75.65% |
| 2000 | 33 | 28,932 mi | 376 | 74.75% |
| 1999 | 55 | 29,472 mi | 1,729 | 77.73% |
| 1998 | 87 | 30,048 mi | 1,948 | 76.48% |
| 1997 | 118 | 28,796 mi | 1,367 | 78.55% |
| 1996 | 90 | 31,882 mi | 982 | 75% |
| 1995 | 50 | 30,717 mi | 642 | 78.64% |
| 1994 | 53 | 29,274 mi | 430 | 76.13% |
| 1993 | 24 | 29,883 mi | 94 | 72.67% |
| 1992 | 33 | 25,327 mi | 256 | 77.88% |
| 1991 | 26 | 28,657 mi | 1,263 | 81.69% |
| 1990 | 38 | 32,590 mi | 632 | 79.93% |
| 1989 | 29 | 21,312 mi | 329 | 80.45% |
| 1988 | 11 | 25,569 mi | 360 | 76.92% |
| 1987 | 33 | 33,211 mi | 297 | 69.5% |
| 1986 | 9 | 24,368 mi | 11 | 78.38% |
VFR questions, answered with data
What are the most common problems with the Honda VFR?
Across 753 UK examples, the most frequently recorded MOT faults are lights and indicators (12.4% of all recorded faults), other (4.5% of all recorded faults), steering and head bearings (3.1% of all recorded faults).
What is average mileage for a Honda VFR?
The median Honda VFR in the UK has covered 29,299 miles, and typically rides about 864 miles a year. Half of all examples fall between 19,960 and 39,390 miles.
Is the Honda VFR reliable?
77.08% of Honda VFR MOT tests are passed first time, with an average of 1.2 faults recorded per test. This is measured from DVSA MOT records, not owner opinion.
Based on DVSA MOT test records for 753 Honda VFR motorcycles registered in Great Britain and Northern Ireland. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.