Honda XL 250 RE
Real ownership data from 92 UK XL 250 RE motorcycles — mileage, MOT pass rates and the faults that actually come up, taken from DVSA test records rather than opinion.
Most common XL 250 RE problems
Ranked by how often each fault appears in this model's MOT history.
| Fault | Severity | Share of faults |
|---|---|---|
| Other | user entered | 15.3% |
| Brakes | fail | 10.2% |
| Lights and indicators | fail | 8.5% |
| Suspension | fail | 8.5% |
| Electrical | fail | 5.1% |
| Steering and head bearings | fail | 5.1% |
| Wheels | fail | 1.7% |
Advisories (wear noted but not failed) are excluded above; the most common is chain and sprockets.
XL 250 RE 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1985 | 34 | 36,575 mi | 57 | 75% |
| 1984 | 41 | 25,165 mi | 294 | 92.31% |
XL 250 RE questions, answered with data
What are the most common problems with the Honda XL 250 RE?
Across 92 UK examples, the most frequently recorded MOT faults are other (15.3% of all recorded faults), brakes (10.2% of all recorded faults), lights and indicators (8.5% of all recorded faults).
What is average mileage for a Honda XL 250 RE?
The median Honda XL 250 RE in the UK has covered 24,723 miles, and typically rides about 277 miles a year. Half of all examples fall between 7,506 and 27,030 miles.
Is the Honda XL 250 RE reliable?
83.33% of Honda XL 250 RE 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 92 Honda XL 250 RE motorcycles registered in Great Britain and Northern Ireland. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.