Yamaha XJ550
Real ownership data from 370 UK XJ550 motorcycles — mileage, MOT pass rates and the faults that actually come up, taken from DVSA test records rather than opinion.
Most common XJ550 problems
Ranked by how often each fault appears in this model's MOT history.
| Fault | Severity | Share of faults |
|---|---|---|
| Lights and indicators | major | 13.2% |
| Brakes | major | 9.2% |
| Other | fail | 4.1% |
| Tyres | fail | 3.5% |
| Suspension | fail | 3.3% |
| Steering and head bearings | fail | 2.5% |
| Chain and sprockets | fail | 1.5% |
| Wheels | fail | 1.4% |
Advisories (wear noted but not failed) are excluded above; the most common is suspension.
XJ550 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1998 | 5 | 23,741 mi | 125 | 62.5% |
| 1997 | 10 | 29,942 mi | 623 | 84.78% |
| 1996 | 7 | 30,413 mi | 1,242 | 68.97% |
| 1995 | 9 | 28,847 mi | 1,690 | 84.62% |
| 1994 | 7 | 23,655 mi | 361 | 75% |
| 1985 | 12 | 39,634 mi | 228 | 73.85% |
| 1984 | 24 | 35,158 mi | 653 | 79.12% |
| 1983 | 34 | 38,516 mi | 237 | 77.71% |
| 1982 | 91 | 34,529 mi | 529 | 75.58% |
| 1981 | 138 | 34,787 mi | 310 | 78.03% |
XJ550 questions, answered with data
What are the most common problems with the Yamaha XJ550?
Across 370 UK examples, the most frequently recorded MOT faults are lights and indicators (13.2% of all recorded faults), brakes (9.2% of all recorded faults), other (4.1% of all recorded faults).
What is average mileage for a Yamaha XJ550?
The median Yamaha XJ550 in the UK has covered 33,658 miles, and typically rides about 364 miles a year. Half of all examples fall between 20,914 and 46,486 miles.
Is the Yamaha XJ550 reliable?
77.11% of Yamaha XJ550 MOT tests are passed first time, with an average of 1.13 faults recorded per test. This is measured from DVSA MOT records, not owner opinion.
Based on DVSA MOT test records for 370 Yamaha XJ550 motorcycles registered in Great Britain and Northern Ireland. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.