Honda VFR400R-L
Real ownership data from 410 UK VFR400R-L motorcycles — mileage, MOT pass rates and the faults that actually come up, taken from DVSA test records rather than opinion.
Most common VFR400R-L problems
Ranked by how often each fault appears in this model's MOT history.
| Fault | Severity | Share of faults |
|---|---|---|
| Lights and indicators | major | 12.3% |
| Brakes | fail | 9% |
| Other | fail | 6.2% |
| Suspension | fail | 6.1% |
| Steering and head bearings | fail | 4.7% |
| Tyres | fail | 3.6% |
| Exhaust and emissions | fail | 2.6% |
| Brake discs and pads | dangerous | 2.5% |
Advisories (wear noted but not failed) are excluded above; the most common is suspension.
VFR400R-L 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 | 7 | 19,394 mi | 545 | 75% |
| 2000 | 7 | 22,264 mi | 2,246 | 64.52% |
| 1998 | 9 | 27,502 mi | 7,500 | 66.67% |
| 1997 | 9 | 24,183 mi | 2,520 | 78.85% |
| 1995 | 10 | 24,673 mi | 148 | 78.05% |
| 1994 | 15 | 25,660 mi | 866 | 78.57% |
| 1993 | 10 | 35,902 mi | 905 | 85.71% |
| 1992 | 33 | 40,848 mi | 1,036 | 85.71% |
| 1991 | 71 | 24,782 mi | 338 | 78.79% |
| 1990 | 122 | 30,212 mi | 367 | 78.16% |
| 1989 | 28 | 15,900 mi | 656 | 92.86% |
| 1988 | 26 | 32,680 mi | 3,133 | 69.57% |
| 1987 | 35 | 81,110 mi | 6,492 | 100% |
| 1986 | 15 | — | — | — |
VFR400R-L questions, answered with data
What are the most common problems with the Honda VFR400R-L?
Across 410 UK examples, the most frequently recorded MOT faults are lights and indicators (12.3% of all recorded faults), brakes (9% of all recorded faults), other (6.2% of all recorded faults).
What is average mileage for a Honda VFR400R-L?
The median Honda VFR400R-L in the UK has covered 26,251 miles, and typically rides about 647 miles a year. Half of all examples fall between 19,284 and 35,686 miles.
Is the Honda VFR400R-L reliable?
76.6% of Honda VFR400R-L MOT tests are passed first time, with an average of 1.04 faults recorded per test. This is measured from DVSA MOT records, not owner opinion.
Based on DVSA MOT test records for 410 Honda VFR400R-L motorcycles registered in Great Britain and Northern Ireland. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.