Yamaha XS
Real ownership data from 220 UK XS motorcycles — mileage, MOT pass rates and the faults that actually come up, taken from DVSA test records rather than opinion.
Most common XS problems
Ranked by how often each fault appears in this model's MOT history.
| Fault | Severity | Share of faults |
|---|---|---|
| Lights and indicators | major | 11.6% |
| Brakes | major | 9.4% |
| Other | fail | 6.3% |
| Tyres | fail | 3.8% |
| Suspension | fail | 3.4% |
| Chain and sprockets | fail | 2.7% |
| Steering and head bearings | fail | 2.7% |
| Wheels | fail | 1.6% |
Advisories (wear noted but not failed) are excluded above; the most common is suspension.
XS 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 | 9 | 34,470 mi | 747 | 78.57% |
| 1997 | 8 | 15,822 mi | 809 | 78.79% |
| 1996 | 5 | 26,295 mi | 633 | 89.47% |
| 1992 | 6 | 31,780 mi | 1,276 | 67.74% |
| 1984 | 6 | 49,921 mi | 274 | 76.79% |
| 1983 | 8 | 22,148 mi | 136 | 75% |
| 1982 | 15 | 16,858 mi | 210 | 79.35% |
| 1981 | 30 | 21,331 mi | 327 | 81.25% |
| 1980 | 25 | 27,898 mi | 184 | 81.4% |
| 1979 | 23 | 22,173 mi | 167 | 75.25% |
| 1978 | 27 | 28,150 mi | 541 | 90.3% |
| 1977 | 15 | 22,208 mi | 526 | 83.78% |
| 1976 | 6 | 26,588 mi | 217 | 88% |
XS questions, answered with data
What are the most common problems with the Yamaha XS?
Across 220 UK examples, the most frequently recorded MOT faults are lights and indicators (11.6% of all recorded faults), brakes (9.4% of all recorded faults), other (6.3% of all recorded faults).
What is average mileage for a Yamaha XS?
The median Yamaha XS in the UK has covered 22,466 miles, and typically rides about 316 miles a year. Half of all examples fall between 11,827 and 34,328 miles.
Is the Yamaha XS reliable?
80.28% of Yamaha XS MOT tests are passed first time, with an average of 0.94 faults recorded per test. This is measured from DVSA MOT records, not owner opinion.
Based on DVSA MOT test records for 220 Yamaha XS motorcycles registered in Great Britain and Northern Ireland. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.