Yamaha XS650
Real ownership data from 1,578 UK XS650 motorcycles — mileage, MOT pass rates and the faults that actually come up, taken from DVSA test records rather than opinion.
Most common XS650 problems
Ranked by how often each fault appears in this model's MOT history.
| Fault | Severity | Share of faults |
|---|---|---|
| Lights and indicators | major | 13.9% |
| Brakes | fail | 6.9% |
| Other | fail | 6.3% |
| Tyres | fail | 3.2% |
| Steering and head bearings | fail | 2.7% |
| Chain and sprockets | fail | 2.2% |
| Suspension | fail | 1.9% |
| Wheels | fail | 1.8% |
Advisories (wear noted but not failed) are excluded above; the most common is exhaust and emissions.
XS650 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 5 | 9,564 mi | 62 | 100% |
| 2020 | 8 | 17,062 mi | 294 | 90% |
| 2019 | 15 | 8,976 mi | 211 | 67.86% |
| 2018 | 25 | 12,852 mi | 604 | 88.89% |
| 2017 | 29 | 12,030 mi | 258 | 86.79% |
| 2016 | 23 | 11,589 mi | 264 | 78.43% |
| 2015 | 32 | 12,848 mi | 170 | 86.52% |
| 2014 | 18 | 16,552 mi | 142 | 87.84% |
| 2013 | 10 | 12,446 mi | 461 | 76% |
| 2012 | 10 | 18,350 mi | 186 | 80% |
| 2011 | 9 | 13,342 mi | 212 | 93.55% |
| 2010 | 8 | 16,126 mi | 194 | 88.89% |
| 2007 | 5 | 5,582 mi | 99 | 83.33% |
| 2006 | 5 | 9,929 mi | 65 | 86.96% |
| 2005 | 8 | 12,356 mi | 142 | 87.18% |
| 2001 | 11 | 16,688 mi | 281 | 83.53% |
| 2000 | 14 | 23,098 mi | 379 | 83.64% |
| 1999 | 19 | 16,683 mi | 128 | 80.85% |
| 1998 | 40 | 17,952 mi | 212 | 86.64% |
| 1997 | 54 | 18,878 mi | 335 | 86.48% |
XS650 questions, answered with data
What are the most common problems with the Yamaha XS650?
Across 1,578 UK examples, the most frequently recorded MOT faults are lights and indicators (13.9% of all recorded faults), brakes (6.9% of all recorded faults), other (6.3% of all recorded faults).
What is average mileage for a Yamaha XS650?
The median Yamaha XS650 in the UK has covered 15,662 miles, and typically rides about 232 miles a year. Half of all examples fall between 3,716 and 26,940 miles.
Is the Yamaha XS650 reliable?
83.61% of Yamaha XS650 MOT tests are passed first time, with an average of 0.82 faults recorded per test. This is measured from DVSA MOT records, not owner opinion.
Based on DVSA MOT test records for 1,578 Yamaha XS650 motorcycles registered in Great Britain and Northern Ireland. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.