Suzuki VL800
Real ownership data from 1,229 UK VL800 motorcycles — mileage, MOT pass rates and the faults that actually come up, taken from DVSA test records rather than opinion.
Most common VL800 problems
Ranked by how often each fault appears in this model's MOT history.
| Fault | Severity | Share of faults |
|---|---|---|
| Brakes | fail | 15% |
| Exhaust and emissions | fail | 13.1% |
| Brake discs and pads | major | 9.1% |
| Controls and cables | dangerous | 4.7% |
| Fuel system | major | 3.6% |
| Frame and structure | dangerous | 3.6% |
| Fluid leaks | user entered | 3.3% |
| Corrosion | user entered | 2.9% |
Advisories (wear noted but not failed) are excluded above; the most common is lights and indicators.
VL800 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 | 95.24% |
| 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 | 15 | 9,778 mi | 624 | 89.38% |
| 2008 | 62 | 17,330 mi | 986 | 88.82% |
| 2007 | 50 | 17,296 mi | 894 | 89.36% |
| 2006 | 93 | 16,654 mi | 954 | 89.57% |
| 2005 | 96 | 13,820 mi | 678 | 90.94% |
| 2004 | 157 | 14,275 mi | 788 | 88.64% |
| 2003 | 292 | 17,056 mi | 747 | 89.27% |
| 2002 | 248 | 18,579 mi | 787 | 87.45% |
| 2001 | 130 | 17,171 mi | 692 | 87.92% |
| 1994 | 5 | 15,154 mi | 690 | 90.91% |
| 1992 | 5 | 25,938 mi | 192 | 82.05% |
VL800 questions, answered with data
What are the most common problems with the Suzuki VL800?
Across 1,229 UK examples, the most frequently recorded MOT faults are brakes (15% of all recorded faults), exhaust and emissions (13.1% of all recorded faults), brake discs and pads (9.1% of all recorded faults).
What is average mileage for a Suzuki VL800?
The median Suzuki VL800 in the UK has covered 16,379 miles, and typically rides about 776 miles a year. Half of all examples fall between 9,752 and 25,938 miles.
Is the Suzuki VL800 reliable?
88.68% of Suzuki VL800 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 1,229 Suzuki VL800 motorcycles registered in Great Britain and Northern Ireland. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.