Honda VT500
Real ownership data from 829 UK VT500 motorcycles — mileage, MOT pass rates and the faults that actually come up, taken from DVSA test records rather than opinion.
Most common VT500 problems
Ranked by how often each fault appears in this model's MOT history.
| Fault | Severity | Share of faults |
|---|---|---|
| Lights and indicators | major | 13.1% |
| Brakes | major | 9.7% |
| Suspension | major | 6.4% |
| Tyres | fail | 4.9% |
| Other | fail | 4% |
| Steering and head bearings | fail | 2.8% |
| Controls and cables | fail | 2.6% |
| Exhaust and emissions | fail | 1.2% |
Advisories (wear noted but not failed) are excluded above; the most common is suspension.
VT500 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1989 | 15 | 42,113 mi | 434 | 81.65% |
| 1988 | 137 | 45,250 mi | 593 | 81.89% |
| 1987 | 145 | 42,720 mi | 645 | 79.96% |
| 1986 | 161 | 36,880 mi | 495 | 77.26% |
| 1985 | 137 | 36,208 mi | 536 | 76.88% |
| 1984 | 111 | 30,585 mi | 386 | 78.79% |
| 1983 | 96 | 33,998 mi | 531 | 75.53% |
VT500 questions, answered with data
What are the most common problems with the Honda VT500?
Across 829 UK examples, the most frequently recorded MOT faults are lights and indicators (13.1% of all recorded faults), brakes (9.7% of all recorded faults), suspension (6.4% of all recorded faults).
What is average mileage for a Honda VT500?
The median Honda VT500 in the UK has covered 37,865 miles, and typically rides about 540 miles a year. Half of all examples fall between 23,230 and 52,119 miles.
Is the Honda VT500 reliable?
78.68% of Honda VT500 MOT tests are passed first time, with an average of 0.88 faults recorded per test. This is measured from DVSA MOT records, not owner opinion.
Based on DVSA MOT test records for 829 Honda VT500 motorcycles registered in Great Britain and Northern Ireland. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.