Honda XL500RC
Real ownership data from 275 UK XL500RC motorcycles — mileage, MOT pass rates and the faults that actually come up, taken from DVSA test records rather than opinion.
Most common XL500RC problems
Ranked by how often each fault appears in this model's MOT history.
| Fault | Severity | Share of faults |
|---|---|---|
| Lights and indicators | major | 18.3% |
| Chain and sprockets | major | 8.5% |
| Other | fail | 4.9% |
| Suspension | fail | 3.7% |
| Tyres | major | 3.7% |
| Brakes | dangerous | 3.7% |
| Fluid leaks | user entered | 2.4% |
| Corrosion | user entered | 2.4% |
Advisories (wear noted but not failed) are excluded above; the most common is corrosion.
XL500RC 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 | 10 | 32,170 mi | 144 | 100% |
| 1984 | 55 | 16,267 mi | 290 | 87.5% |
| 1983 | 186 | 24,824 mi | 119 | 77.78% |
| 1982 | 13 | 9,765 mi | 439 | 100% |
XL500RC questions, answered with data
What are the most common problems with the Honda XL500RC?
Across 275 UK examples, the most frequently recorded MOT faults are lights and indicators (18.3% of all recorded faults), chain and sprockets (8.5% of all recorded faults), other (4.9% of all recorded faults).
What is average mileage for a Honda XL500RC?
The median Honda XL500RC in the UK has covered 23,388 miles, and typically rides about 140 miles a year. Half of all examples fall between 14,897 and 34,224 miles.
Is the Honda XL500RC reliable?
80.72% of Honda XL500RC MOT tests are passed first time, with an average of 0.83 faults recorded per test. This is measured from DVSA MOT records, not owner opinion.
Based on DVSA MOT test records for 275 Honda XL500RC motorcycles registered in Great Britain and Northern Ireland. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.