Honda XL 600 RE
Real ownership data from 140 UK XL 600 RE motorcycles — mileage, MOT pass rates and the faults that actually come up, taken from DVSA test records rather than opinion.
Most common XL 600 RE problems
Ranked by how often each fault appears in this model's MOT history.
| Fault | Severity | Share of faults |
|---|---|---|
| Lights and indicators | fail | 22.9% |
| Suspension | fail | 5.7% |
| Controls and cables | fail | 3.8% |
| Brakes | fail | 2.9% |
| Steering and head bearings | fail | 2.9% |
| Tyres | fail | 2.9% |
| Chain and sprockets | fail | 2.8% |
| Other | fail | 1.9% |
Advisories (wear noted but not failed) are excluded above; the most common is wheels.
XL 600 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1987 | 5 | 38,159 mi | 820 | 66.67% |
| 1986 | 12 | 51,454 mi | 366 | 87.5% |
| 1985 | 41 | 26,234 mi | 635 | 75% |
| 1984 | 59 | 48,241 mi | 2,259 | 70% |
| 1983 | 6 | 8,724 mi | 22 | 100% |
XL 600 RE questions, answered with data
What are the most common problems with the Honda XL 600 RE?
Across 140 UK examples, the most frequently recorded MOT faults are lights and indicators (22.9% of all recorded faults), suspension (5.7% of all recorded faults), controls and cables (3.8% of all recorded faults).
What is average mileage for a Honda XL 600 RE?
The median Honda XL 600 RE in the UK has covered 36,872 miles, and typically rides about 366 miles a year. Half of all examples fall between 27,002 and 45,158 miles.
Is the Honda XL 600 RE reliable?
78.75% of Honda XL 600 RE MOT tests are passed first time, with an average of 1.12 faults recorded per test. This is measured from DVSA MOT records, not owner opinion.
Based on DVSA MOT test records for 140 Honda XL 600 RE motorcycles registered in Great Britain and Northern Ireland. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.