Honda XL600V
Real ownership data from 435 UK XL600V motorcycles — mileage, MOT pass rates and the faults that actually come up, taken from DVSA test records rather than opinion.
Most common XL600V problems
Ranked by how often each fault appears in this model's MOT history.
| Fault | Severity | Share of faults |
|---|---|---|
| Lights and indicators | major | 14.9% |
| Steering and head bearings | dangerous | 9% |
| Brake discs and pads | dangerous | 6.8% |
| Tyres | dangerous | 4.6% |
| Chain and sprockets | major | 4.4% |
| Brakes | major | 4.3% |
| Suspension | major | 4.2% |
| Other | fail | 3.7% |
Advisories (wear noted but not failed) are excluded above; the most common is exhaust and emissions.
XL600V 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 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2002 | 5 | 36,351 mi | 861 | 84% |
| 2000 | 19 | 28,827 mi | 1,143 | 80.16% |
| 1999 | 84 | 32,954 mi | 1,287 | 80.35% |
| 1998 | 59 | 34,714 mi | 1,200 | 83.64% |
| 1997 | 64 | 32,070 mi | 855 | 80.11% |
| 1995 | 6 | 18,937 mi | 477 | 82.76% |
| 1992 | 7 | 33,052 mi | 1,432 | 88.89% |
| 1991 | 15 | 44,608 mi | 1,526 | 86.67% |
| 1990 | 68 | 51,142 mi | 738 | 87.1% |
| 1989 | 64 | 42,617 mi | 639 | 82.69% |
| 1987 | 5 | 33,335 mi | 2,664 | 80.77% |
XL600V questions, answered with data
What are the most common problems with the Honda XL600V?
Across 435 UK examples, the most frequently recorded MOT faults are lights and indicators (14.9% of all recorded faults), steering and head bearings (9% of all recorded faults), brake discs and pads (6.8% of all recorded faults).
What is average mileage for a Honda XL600V?
The median Honda XL600V in the UK has covered 36,995 miles, and typically rides about 1,074 miles a year. Half of all examples fall between 24,557 and 50,188 miles.
Is the Honda XL600V reliable?
82.36% of Honda XL600V MOT tests are passed first time, with an average of 0.35 faults recorded per test. This is measured from DVSA MOT records, not owner opinion.
Based on DVSA MOT test records for 435 Honda XL600V motorcycles registered in Great Britain and Northern Ireland. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.