Honda VFR400R
Real ownership data from 266 UK VFR400R motorcycles — mileage, MOT pass rates and the faults that actually come up, taken from DVSA test records rather than opinion.
Most common VFR400R problems
Ranked by how often each fault appears in this model's MOT history.
| Fault | Severity | Share of faults |
|---|---|---|
| Lights and indicators | major | 13.2% |
| Brakes | fail | 8.8% |
| Other | fail | 5.7% |
| Tyres | fail | 5.2% |
| Suspension | major | 4.9% |
| Steering and head bearings | fail | 3.6% |
| Brake discs and pads | fail | 2.4% |
| Controls and cables | fail | 2% |
Advisories (wear noted but not failed) are excluded above; the most common is suspension.
VFR400R 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2002 | 6 | 25,631 mi | 443 | 75% |
| 2001 | 6 | 25,780 mi | 325 | 72.97% |
| 2000 | 14 | 22,270 mi | 895 | 72.73% |
| 1999 | 14 | 26,485 mi | 876 | 73.12% |
| 1998 | 25 | 22,413 mi | 186 | 72.95% |
| 1997 | 45 | 27,773 mi | 1,214 | 78.37% |
| 1996 | 34 | 25,480 mi | 1,572 | 72.9% |
| 1995 | 24 | 25,474 mi | 756 | 79.41% |
| 1994 | 18 | 34,122 mi | 5,339 | 61.11% |
| 1993 | 7 | 39,688 mi | 1,148 | 70% |
| 1992 | 7 | 26,680 mi | 2,031 | 73.47% |
| 1991 | 8 | 27,159 mi | 330 | 69.77% |
| 1990 | 7 | 27,293 mi | 434 | 75.61% |
| 1989 | 21 | 25,280 mi | 772 | 75.61% |
| 1988 | 8 | 19,358 mi | 602 | 88.1% |
| 1987 | 11 | 27,146 mi | 1,048 | 70.27% |
| 1986 | 8 | 22,768 mi | 2,448 | 84.21% |
VFR400R questions, answered with data
What are the most common problems with the Honda VFR400R?
Across 266 UK examples, the most frequently recorded MOT faults are lights and indicators (13.2% of all recorded faults), brakes (8.8% of all recorded faults), other (5.7% of all recorded faults).
What is average mileage for a Honda VFR400R?
The median Honda VFR400R in the UK has covered 26,070 miles, and typically rides about 770 miles a year. Half of all examples fall between 19,215 and 36,083 miles.
Is the Honda VFR400R reliable?
75% of Honda VFR400R MOT tests are passed first time, with an average of 1.22 faults recorded per test. This is measured from DVSA MOT records, not owner opinion.
Based on DVSA MOT test records for 266 Honda VFR400R motorcycles registered in Great Britain and Northern Ireland. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.