Honda XL650
Real ownership data from 1,272 UK XL650 motorcycles — mileage, MOT pass rates and the faults that actually come up, taken from DVSA test records rather than opinion.
Most common XL650 problems
Ranked by how often each fault appears in this model's MOT history.
| Fault | Severity | Share of faults |
|---|---|---|
| Tyres | dangerous | 3.6% |
| Steering and head bearings | major | 3.1% |
| Brake discs and pads | dangerous | 2.7% |
| Chain and sprockets | major | 2.3% |
| Lights and indicators | major | 2.1% |
| Other | fail | 1.9% |
| Brakes | dangerous | 1.7% |
| Controls and cables | fail | 1% |
Advisories (wear noted but not failed) are excluded above; the most common is steering and head bearings.
XL650 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2009 | 6 | 22,792 mi | 832 | 90.63% |
| 2008 | 8 | 22,654 mi | 1,268 | 80.82% |
| 2007 | 96 | 27,864 mi | 1,527 | 82.82% |
| 2006 | 95 | 26,273 mi | 1,776 | 82.58% |
| 2005 | 106 | 22,970 mi | 1,323 | 87.55% |
| 2004 | 88 | 25,933 mi | 1,748 | 83.84% |
| 2003 | 178 | 27,496 mi | 1,536 | 80.83% |
| 2002 | 245 | 28,197 mi | 1,339 | 84.77% |
| 2001 | 297 | 31,754 mi | 1,425 | 82.8% |
| 2000 | 125 | 31,897 mi | 1,345 | 85.63% |
| 1996 | 5 | 24,614 mi | 868 | 81.08% |
XL650 questions, answered with data
What are the most common problems with the Honda XL650?
Across 1,272 UK examples, the most frequently recorded MOT faults are tyres (3.6% of all recorded faults), steering and head bearings (3.1% of all recorded faults), brake discs and pads (2.7% of all recorded faults).
What is average mileage for a Honda XL650?
The median Honda XL650 in the UK has covered 28,422 miles, and typically rides about 1,456 miles a year. Half of all examples fall between 17,794 and 40,532 miles.
Is the Honda XL650 reliable?
83.66% of Honda XL650 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 1,272 Honda XL650 motorcycles registered in Great Britain and Northern Ireland. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.