Suzuki VL 800 K5
Real ownership data from 161 UK VL 800 K5 motorcycles — mileage, MOT pass rates and the faults that actually come up, taken from DVSA test records rather than opinion.
Most common VL 800 K5 problems
Ranked by how often each fault appears in this model's MOT history.
| Fault | Severity | Share of faults |
|---|---|---|
| Lights and indicators | major | 10% |
| Brakes | major | 8.8% |
| Tyres | dangerous | 7.1% |
| Other | dangerous | 5.6% |
| Brake discs and pads | dangerous | 1.2% |
| Exhaust and emissions | major | 0.7% |
| Wheels | fail | 0.6% |
| Controls and cables | prs | 0.4% |
Advisories (wear noted but not failed) are excluded above; the most common is exhaust and emissions.
VL 800 K5 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2007 | 9 | 20,997 mi | 892 | 91.3% |
| 2006 | 65 | 16,190 mi | 965 | 89.13% |
| 2005 | 87 | 14,407 mi | 717 | 91.84% |
VL 800 K5 questions, answered with data
What are the most common problems with the Suzuki VL 800 K5?
Across 161 UK examples, the most frequently recorded MOT faults are lights and indicators (10% of all recorded faults), brakes (8.8% of all recorded faults), tyres (7.1% of all recorded faults).
What is average mileage for a Suzuki VL 800 K5?
The median Suzuki VL 800 K5 in the UK has covered 15,014 miles, and typically rides about 803 miles a year. Half of all examples fall between 8,695 and 22,535 miles.
Is the Suzuki VL 800 K5 reliable?
90.76% of Suzuki VL 800 K5 MOT tests are passed first time, with an average of 0.42 faults recorded per test. This is measured from DVSA MOT records, not owner opinion.
Based on DVSA MOT test records for 161 Suzuki VL 800 K5 motorcycles registered in Great Britain and Northern Ireland. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.