Suzuki VL 800
Real ownership data from 1,227 UK VL 800 motorcycles — mileage, MOT pass rates and the faults that actually come up, taken from DVSA test records rather than opinion.
Most common VL 800 problems
Ranked by how often each fault appears in this model's MOT history.
| Fault | Severity | Share of faults |
|---|---|---|
| Brake discs and pads | fail | 18.2% |
| Brakes | fail | 11.8% |
| Exhaust and emissions | user entered | 9.2% |
| Fluid leaks | major | 5.3% |
| Controls and cables | user entered | 3.1% |
| Frame and structure | dangerous | 2.8% |
| Corrosion | user entered | 2.2% |
| Fuel system | major | 2.2% |
Advisories (wear noted but not failed) are excluded above; the most common is fluid leaks.
VL 800 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 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 | 6 | 9,593 mi | 1,742 | 96% |
| 2013 | 5 | 22,404 mi | 1,808 | 95.12% |
| 2012 | 9 | 19,370 mi | 2,032 | 86.89% |
| 2011 | 17 | 10,821 mi | 423 | 89.63% |
| 2010 | 13 | 16,903 mi | 1,257 | 88.89% |
| 2009 | 13 | 10,250 mi | 709 | 87.88% |
| 2008 | 63 | 17,087 mi | 975 | 88.89% |
| 2007 | 50 | 17,296 mi | 894 | 89.36% |
| 2006 | 93 | 16,654 mi | 954 | 89.53% |
| 2005 | 96 | 13,768 mi | 648 | 91.01% |
| 2004 | 157 | 14,275 mi | 802 | 88.73% |
| 2003 | 291 | 16,850 mi | 752 | 89.32% |
| 2002 | 248 | 18,579 mi | 787 | 87.46% |
| 2001 | 130 | 17,171 mi | 692 | 87.97% |
| 1994 | 5 | 15,128 mi | 690 | 90.77% |
| 1992 | 5 | 25,938 mi | 192 | 82.05% |
VL 800 questions, answered with data
What are the most common problems with the Suzuki VL 800?
Across 1,227 UK examples, the most frequently recorded MOT faults are brake discs and pads (18.2% of all recorded faults), brakes (11.8% of all recorded faults), exhaust and emissions (9.2% of all recorded faults).
What is average mileage for a Suzuki VL 800?
The median Suzuki VL 800 in the UK has covered 16,329 miles, and typically rides about 783 miles a year. Half of all examples fall between 9,748 and 25,934 miles.
Is the Suzuki VL 800 reliable?
88.71% of Suzuki VL 800 MOT tests are passed first time, with an average of 0.02 faults recorded per test. This is measured from DVSA MOT records, not owner opinion.
Based on DVSA MOT test records for 1,227 Suzuki VL 800 motorcycles registered in Great Britain and Northern Ireland. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.