Honda XL250S
Real ownership data from 186 UK XL250S motorcycles — mileage, MOT pass rates and the faults that actually come up, taken from DVSA test records rather than opinion.
Most common XL250S problems
Ranked by how often each fault appears in this model's MOT history.
| Fault | Severity | Share of faults |
|---|---|---|
| Lights and indicators | major | 22.7% |
| Brakes | fail | 8.2% |
| Electrical | major | 5.8% |
| Other | fail | 5.4% |
| Tyres | fail | 3.4% |
| Suspension | fail | 1.8% |
| Steering and head bearings | fail | 1.8% |
| Wheels | fail | 1.8% |
Advisories (wear noted but not failed) are excluded above; the most common is chain and sprockets.
XL250S 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | 5 | 6,046 mi | 445 | 69.23% |
| 1983 | 9 | 5,806 mi | 164 | 77.78% |
| 1982 | 12 | 15,097 mi | 174 | 74.07% |
| 1981 | 26 | 11,476 mi | 75 | 85.71% |
| 1980 | 35 | 13,053 mi | 72 | 74.26% |
| 1979 | 32 | 14,392 mi | 104 | 77.42% |
| 1978 | 28 | 13,007 mi | 98 | 86.21% |
XL250S questions, answered with data
What are the most common problems with the Honda XL250S?
Across 186 UK examples, the most frequently recorded MOT faults are lights and indicators (22.7% of all recorded faults), brakes (8.2% of all recorded faults), electrical (5.8% of all recorded faults).
What is average mileage for a Honda XL250S?
The median Honda XL250S in the UK has covered 13,053 miles, and typically rides about 116 miles a year. Half of all examples fall between 7,374 and 19,184 miles.
Is the Honda XL250S reliable?
78.34% of Honda XL250S MOT tests are passed first time, with an average of 0.89 faults recorded per test. This is measured from DVSA MOT records, not owner opinion.
Based on DVSA MOT test records for 186 Honda XL250S motorcycles registered in Great Britain and Northern Ireland. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.