Honda XL250
Real ownership data from 1,005 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Lights and indicators | major | 17.8% |
| Brakes | major | 6.2% |
| Other | fail | 4.8% |
| Tyres | fail | 3.7% |
| Suspension | major | 2.9% |
| Chain and sprockets | fail | 2.9% |
| Electrical | fail | 2.7% |
| Steering and head bearings | fail | 2.3% |
Advisories (wear noted but not failed) are excluded above; the most common is suspension.
XL250 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | 7 | 6,604 mi | 1,434 | 78.57% |
| 2018 | 11 | 6,554 mi | 461 | 78.57% |
| 2017 | 16 | 11,203 mi | 78 | 83.33% |
| 2016 | 14 | 9,508 mi | 216 | 77.14% |
| 2015 | 6 | 4,866 mi | 58 | 96.55% |
| 2014 | 6 | 6,043 mi | 104 | 76% |
| 2013 | 7 | 8,323 mi | 11 | 82.14% |
| 2012 | 6 | 7,473 mi | 896 | 88% |
| 2007 | 7 | 11,856 mi | 491 | 86.79% |
| 2005 | 9 | 20,221 mi | 370 | 82.28% |
| 2004 | 13 | 20,416 mi | 367 | 79.82% |
| 2003 | 14 | 16,936 mi | — | 81.73% |
| 2002 | 10 | 14,550 mi | 20 | 80.95% |
| 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 | 18,350 mi | 664 | 81.05% |
| 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 1,005 UK examples, the most frequently recorded MOT faults are lights and indicators (17.8% of all recorded faults), brakes (6.2% of all recorded faults), other (4.8% of all recorded faults).
What is average mileage for a Honda XL250?
The median Honda XL250 in the UK has covered 14,156 miles, and typically rides about 154 miles a year. Half of all examples fall between 6,844 and 23,415 miles.
Is the Honda XL250 reliable?
80.82% of Honda XL250 MOT tests are passed first time, with an average of 0.91 faults recorded per test. This is measured from DVSA MOT records, not owner opinion.
Based on DVSA MOT test records for 1,005 Honda XL250 motorcycles registered in Great Britain and Northern Ireland. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.