Honda XL250
Real ownership data from 1,006 UK XL250 motorcycles — mileage, MOT pass rates and the faults that actually come up, taken from DVSA test records rather than opinion.
Most common XL250 problems
Ranked by how often each fault appears in this model's MOT history.
| Fault | Severity | Share of faults |
|---|---|---|
| Brakes | dangerous | 20% |
| Suspension | major | 13.5% |
| Electrical | major | 11% |
| Chain and sprockets | major | 10.2% |
| Steering and head bearings | major | 8% |
| Lights and indicators | major | 7.2% |
| Tyres | major | 6.7% |
| Wheels | prs | 2.9% |
Advisories (wear noted but not failed) are excluded above; the most common is controls and cables.
XL250 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 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | 7 | 6,604 mi | 1,434 | 78.57% |
| 2018 | 10 | 6,362 mi | 461 | 84.62% |
| 2017 | 14 | 10,737 mi | 64 | 80% |
| 2016 | 14 | 9,508 mi | 216 | 77.14% |
| 2015 | 6 | 4,866 mi | 58 | 96.67% |
| 2014 | 6 | 6,043 mi | 104 | 76% |
| 2013 | 7 | 8,323 mi | 11 | 82.14% |
| 2012 | 6 | 7,473 mi | 896 | 88% |
| 2007 | 6 | 15,439 mi | 491 | 88.89% |
| 2005 | 9 | 20,221 mi | 370 | 82.28% |
| 2004 | 12 | 19,210 mi | 250 | 79.46% |
| 2003 | 14 | 16,936 mi | — | 81.9% |
| 2002 | 11 | 14,354 mi | 20 | 81.4% |
| 2001 | 9 | 24,152 mi | 556 | 79.73% |
| 2000 | 15 | 12,512 mi | 92 | 77.48% |
| 1999 | 21 | 16,215 mi | 459 | 80.99% |
| 1998 | 22 | 21,522 mi | 274 | 78.87% |
| 1997 | 17 | 16,536 mi | 664 | 80.91% |
| 1996 | 11 | 13,745 mi | 1,877 | 85.33% |
| 1994 | 5 | 12,867 mi | 1,722 | 80% |
XL250 questions, answered with data
What are the most common problems with the Honda XL250?
Across 1,006 UK examples, the most frequently recorded MOT faults are brakes (20% of all recorded faults), suspension (13.5% of all recorded faults), electrical (11% of all recorded faults).
What is average mileage for a Honda XL250?
The median Honda XL250 in the UK has covered 14,129 miles, and typically rides about 153 miles a year. Half of all examples fall between 6,818 and 23,412 miles.
Is the Honda XL250 reliable?
80.86% of Honda XL250 MOT tests are passed first time, with an average of 0.23 faults recorded per test. This is measured from DVSA MOT records, not owner opinion.
Based on DVSA MOT test records for 1,006 Honda XL250 motorcycles registered in Great Britain and Northern Ireland. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.