Honda VFR400
Real ownership data from 1,070 UK VFR400 motorcycles — mileage, MOT pass rates and the faults that actually come up, taken from DVSA test records rather than opinion.
Most common VFR400 problems
Ranked by how often each fault appears in this model's MOT history.
| Fault | Severity | Share of faults |
|---|---|---|
| Chain and sprockets | dangerous | 23.2% |
| Electrical | major | 11.2% |
| Wheels | major | 10% |
| Steering and head bearings | dangerous | 9% |
| Brake discs and pads | dangerous | 7.2% |
| Frame and structure | fail | 4.7% |
| Exhaust and emissions | major | 3.7% |
| Suspension | user entered | 2.6% |
Advisories (wear noted but not failed) are excluded above; the most common is frame and structure.
VFR400 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 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2003 | 13 | 17,708 mi | 704 | 77.89% |
| 2002 | 24 | 24,549 mi | 264 | 70.79% |
| 2001 | 25 | 22,434 mi | 1,104 | 76.84% |
| 2000 | 51 | 25,079 mi | 1,311 | 71.68% |
| 1999 | 71 | 25,132 mi | 821 | 72.96% |
| 1998 | 115 | 25,282 mi | 805 | 75.36% |
| 1997 | 156 | 29,788 mi | 1,446 | 73.48% |
| 1996 | 139 | 29,557 mi | 1,223 | 69.05% |
| 1995 | 84 | 26,830 mi | 2,488 | 73.19% |
| 1994 | 78 | 28,918 mi | 612 | 70.44% |
| 1993 | 44 | 28,640 mi | 3,038 | 68.94% |
| 1992 | 43 | 24,053 mi | 560 | 68.02% |
| 1991 | 38 | 28,939 mi | 249 | 70.81% |
| 1990 | 42 | 31,054 mi | 830 | 83.66% |
| 1989 | 52 | 24,404 mi | 221 | 75.76% |
| 1988 | 15 | 31,191 mi | 195 | 71.43% |
| 1987 | 54 | 27,148 mi | 2,030 | 63.27% |
| 1986 | 17 | 30,358 mi | 1,602 | 61.02% |
VFR400 questions, answered with data
What are the most common problems with the Honda VFR400?
Across 1,070 UK examples, the most frequently recorded MOT faults are chain and sprockets (23.2% of all recorded faults), electrical (11.2% of all recorded faults), wheels (10% of all recorded faults).
What is average mileage for a Honda VFR400?
The median Honda VFR400 in the UK has covered 27,236 miles, and typically rides about 883 miles a year. Half of all examples fall between 19,224 and 36,988 miles.
Is the Honda VFR400 reliable?
72.49% of Honda VFR400 MOT tests are passed first time, with an average of 0.08 faults recorded per test. This is measured from DVSA MOT records, not owner opinion.
Based on DVSA MOT test records for 1,070 Honda VFR400 motorcycles registered in Great Britain and Northern Ireland. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.