Honda XL600
Real ownership data from 1,681 UK XL600 motorcycles — mileage, MOT pass rates and the faults that actually come up, taken from DVSA test records rather than opinion.
Most common XL600 problems
Ranked by how often each fault appears in this model's MOT history.
| Fault | Severity | Share of faults |
|---|---|---|
| Corrosion | dangerous | 12.5% |
| Suspension | fail | 10.8% |
| Brake discs and pads | prs | 9.6% |
| Exhaust and emissions | fail | 5.1% |
| Lights and indicators | dangerous | 2.6% |
| Other | major | 2.4% |
| Brakes | fail | 2.2% |
| Electrical | minor | 2.2% |
Advisories (wear noted but not failed) are excluded above; the most common is lights and indicators.
XL600 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 | 6 | 27,731 mi | 82 | 80.77% |
| 2019 | 5 | 28,834 mi | 501 | 75% |
| 2017 | 11 | 31,107 mi | 1,710 | 78% |
| 2016 | 6 | 11,532 mi | 151 | 87.5% |
| 2015 | 5 | 29,915 mi | 139 | 81.48% |
| 2008 | 9 | 30,877 mi | — | 71.43% |
| 2007 | 19 | 36,824 mi | 687 | 80.12% |
| 2006 | 19 | 33,222 mi | 1,508 | 81.33% |
| 2005 | 21 | 32,820 mi | 1,476 | 81.03% |
| 2004 | 38 | 28,616 mi | 2,032 | 80.08% |
| 2003 | 53 | 36,020 mi | 530 | 78.8% |
| 2002 | 47 | 28,536 mi | 1,603 | 80.41% |
| 2001 | 44 | 35,383 mi | 757 | 76.6% |
| 2000 | 58 | 32,750 mi | 1,875 | 80.13% |
| 1999 | 135 | 27,839 mi | 1,172 | 80.58% |
| 1998 | 125 | 29,603 mi | 1,202 | 78.68% |
| 1997 | 134 | 33,245 mi | 938 | 80.33% |
| 1996 | 73 | 36,373 mi | 1,153 | 82.96% |
| 1995 | 45 | 35,119 mi | 785 | 82.44% |
| 1994 | 41 | 35,615 mi | 1,064 | 81.05% |
XL600 questions, answered with data
What are the most common problems with the Honda XL600?
Across 1,681 UK examples, the most frequently recorded MOT faults are corrosion (12.5% of all recorded faults), suspension (10.8% of all recorded faults), brake discs and pads (9.6% of all recorded faults).
What is average mileage for a Honda XL600?
The median Honda XL600 in the UK has covered 34,343 miles, and typically rides about 821 miles a year. Half of all examples fall between 22,759 and 47,397 miles.
Is the Honda XL600 reliable?
80.83% of Honda XL600 MOT tests are passed first time, with an average of 0.04 faults recorded per test. This is measured from DVSA MOT records, not owner opinion.
Based on DVSA MOT test records for 1,681 Honda XL600 motorcycles registered in Great Britain and Northern Ireland. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.