Yamaha XS250
Real ownership data from 514 UK XS250 motorcycles — mileage, MOT pass rates and the faults that actually come up, taken from DVSA test records rather than opinion.
Most common XS250 problems
Ranked by how often each fault appears in this model's MOT history.
| Fault | Severity | Share of faults |
|---|---|---|
| Lights and indicators | major | 12.7% |
| Brakes | fail | 8.8% |
| Other | fail | 5.6% |
| Tyres | fail | 4.4% |
| Steering and head bearings | fail | 2.8% |
| Suspension | fail | 2.4% |
| Chain and sprockets | fail | 2.3% |
| Wheels | fail | 1.8% |
Advisories (wear noted but not failed) are excluded above; the most common is suspension.
XS250 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1984 | 5 | 30,024 mi | 140 | 84.62% |
| 1983 | 14 | 25,277 mi | 115 | 70.59% |
| 1982 | 46 | 18,073 mi | 302 | 81.91% |
| 1981 | 125 | 21,212 mi | 292 | 74.51% |
| 1980 | 156 | 20,612 mi | 242 | 79.03% |
| 1979 | 67 | 19,524 mi | 149 | 80.25% |
| 1978 | 56 | 20,785 mi | 166 | 78.06% |
| 1977 | 27 | 23,382 mi | 208 | 82.5% |
XS250 questions, answered with data
What are the most common problems with the Yamaha XS250?
Across 514 UK examples, the most frequently recorded MOT faults are lights and indicators (12.7% of all recorded faults), brakes (8.8% of all recorded faults), other (5.6% of all recorded faults).
What is average mileage for a Yamaha XS250?
The median Yamaha XS250 in the UK has covered 20,574 miles, and typically rides about 213 miles a year. Half of all examples fall between 12,619 and 28,820 miles.
Is the Yamaha XS250 reliable?
78.3% of Yamaha XS250 MOT tests are passed first time, with an average of 1.19 faults recorded per test. This is measured from DVSA MOT records, not owner opinion.
Based on DVSA MOT test records for 514 Yamaha XS250 motorcycles registered in Great Britain and Northern Ireland. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.