Honda XL 650 V-5
Real ownership data from 137 UK XL 650 V-5 motorcycles — mileage, MOT pass rates and the faults that actually come up, taken from DVSA test records rather than opinion.
Most common XL 650 V-5 problems
Ranked by how often each fault appears in this model's MOT history.
| Fault | Severity | Share of faults |
|---|---|---|
| Brakes | major | 17.8% |
| Brake discs and pads | dangerous | 10.9% |
| Steering and head bearings | major | 7.8% |
| Lights and indicators | major | 7.4% |
| Chain and sprockets | dangerous | 7.4% |
| Tyres | prs | 4.7% |
| Exhaust and emissions | fail | 3.9% |
| Controls and cables | dangerous | 3.9% |
Advisories (wear noted but not failed) are excluded above; the most common is controls and cables.
XL 650 V-5 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 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2007 | 6 | 38,258 mi | 1,692 | 92.21% |
| 2006 | 18 | 26,060 mi | 1,414 | 86.77% |
| 2005 | 113 | 29,434 mi | 1,526 | 86.11% |
XL 650 V-5 questions, answered with data
What are the most common problems with the Honda XL 650 V-5?
Across 137 UK examples, the most frequently recorded MOT faults are brakes (17.8% of all recorded faults), brake discs and pads (10.9% of all recorded faults), steering and head bearings (7.8% of all recorded faults).
What is average mileage for a Honda XL 650 V-5?
The median Honda XL 650 V-5 in the UK has covered 29,624 miles, and typically rides about 1,518 miles a year. Half of all examples fall between 16,421 and 40,264 miles.
Is the Honda XL 650 V-5 reliable?
86.56% of Honda XL 650 V-5 MOT tests are passed first time, with an average of 0.18 faults recorded per test. This is measured from DVSA MOT records, not owner opinion.
Based on DVSA MOT test records for 137 Honda XL 650 V-5 motorcycles registered in Great Britain and Northern Ireland. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.