Honda XL500
Real ownership data from 428 UK XL500 motorcycles — mileage, MOT pass rates and the faults that actually come up, taken from DVSA test records rather than opinion.
Most common XL500 problems
Ranked by how often each fault appears in this model's MOT history.
| Fault | Severity | Share of faults |
|---|---|---|
| Lights and indicators | major | 31.1% |
| Other | major | 9.2% |
| Brakes | major | 8.7% |
| Suspension | major | 6.3% |
| Tyres | major | 5.4% |
| Steering and head bearings | fail | 4.3% |
| Chain and sprockets | fail | 3.7% |
| Wheels | fail | 3.3% |
Advisories (wear noted but not failed) are excluded above; the most common is other.
XL500 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 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 5 | 10,693 mi | 1,053 | 100% |
| 2018 | 8 | 9,630 mi | 370 | 88.24% |
| 2017 | 10 | 18,848 mi | 31 | 91.18% |
| 2016 | 9 | 9,527 mi | 881 | 77.78% |
| 2015 | 6 | 14,236 mi | 3 | 93.33% |
| 2006 | 5 | 22,509 mi | — | 84.21% |
| 2003 | 7 | 31,094 mi | 2,040 | 88.89% |
| 2002 | 12 | 29,568 mi | 206 | 79.41% |
| 2001 | 6 | 29,802 mi | 1,365 | 64.52% |
| 2000 | 9 | 30,714 mi | 222 | 89.74% |
| 1999 | 8 | 21,915 mi | 610 | 68.57% |
| 1998 | 19 | 32,058 mi | 484 | 83.67% |
| 1997 | 8 | 19,938 mi | 184 | 76.92% |
| 1984 | 35 | 20,858 mi | 233 | 85.71% |
| 1983 | 73 | 22,970 mi | 195 | 80.73% |
| 1982 | 59 | 21,946 mi | 187 | 81.52% |
| 1981 | 40 | 20,361 mi | 88 | 79.05% |
| 1980 | 30 | 14,626 mi | 33 | 86.73% |
| 1979 | 28 | 10,854 mi | 193 | 78.95% |
XL500 questions, answered with data
What are the most common problems with the Honda XL500?
Across 428 UK examples, the most frequently recorded MOT faults are lights and indicators (31.1% of all recorded faults), other (9.2% of all recorded faults), brakes (8.7% of all recorded faults).
What is average mileage for a Honda XL500?
The median Honda XL500 in the UK has covered 20,860 miles, and typically rides about 182 miles a year. Half of all examples fall between 9,740 and 30,250 miles.
Is the Honda XL500 reliable?
82.23% of Honda XL500 MOT tests are passed first time, with an average of 0.5 faults recorded per test. This is measured from DVSA MOT records, not owner opinion.
Based on DVSA MOT test records for 428 Honda XL500 motorcycles registered in Great Britain and Northern Ireland. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.