Honda XL185
Real ownership data from 205 UK XL185 motorcycles — mileage, MOT pass rates and the faults that actually come up, taken from DVSA test records rather than opinion.
Most common XL185 problems
Ranked by how often each fault appears in this model's MOT history.
| Fault | Severity | Share of faults |
|---|---|---|
| Lights and indicators | major | 13.9% |
| Other | major | 6.7% |
| Brakes | major | 5.2% |
| Electrical | fail | 4.4% |
| Tyres | fail | 2.6% |
| Suspension | fail | 2.4% |
| Chain and sprockets | fail | 2.3% |
| Wheels | fail | 2.2% |
Advisories (wear noted but not failed) are excluded above; the most common is suspension.
XL185 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1982 | 31 | 16,452 mi | 94 | 84.02% |
| 1981 | 72 | 14,702 mi | 106 | 80.71% |
| 1980 | 48 | 13,542 mi | 125 | 77.31% |
| 1979 | 38 | 14,541 mi | 93 | 82.99% |
XL185 questions, answered with data
What are the most common problems with the Honda XL185?
Across 205 UK examples, the most frequently recorded MOT faults are lights and indicators (13.9% of all recorded faults), other (6.7% of all recorded faults), brakes (5.2% of all recorded faults).
What is average mileage for a Honda XL185?
The median Honda XL185 in the UK has covered 14,474 miles, and typically rides about 117 miles a year. Half of all examples fall between 8,930 and 23,016 miles.
Is the Honda XL185 reliable?
80.86% of Honda XL185 MOT tests are passed first time, with an average of 1.1 faults recorded per test. This is measured from DVSA MOT records, not owner opinion.
Based on DVSA MOT test records for 205 Honda XL185 motorcycles registered in Great Britain and Northern Ireland. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.