HONDA XL 1000 VA-6

996cc Petrol Class 2

#1962 of 5426 overall #258 of 921 HONDAs #1190 of 2787 other bikes

86.8%

first-time pass rate

7.9%

failed outright

18,320

median miles at test

795

MOT tests, 2005–2025

Pass rate over time

first-time pass rate by test year · 2010–2022

The XL 1000 VA-6's first-time pass rate has fallen 3.5 points since 2010, 94.7% to 91.2%.

Pass rate by mileage

how the XL 1000 VA-6's first-time pass rate falls with the odometer · class average 84.9%

A low-mileage XL 1000 VA-6 passes first time 92.5% of the time; by 40k that's 73.6%.

First-time pass rate by odometer reading at test, 10,000-mile bands for this model. Mileage is the strongest reliability signal. See the full curve.

What fails on a XL 1000 VA-6

failure defects by component group · advisories excluded

Component group	Defects	% of defects	vs all bikes
brakes	31	26.3	0.8×
lighting and signalling	23	19.5	0.5×
steering and suspension	21	17.8	0.7×
tyres and wheels	10	8.5	0.6×
suspension	8	6.8	1.2×
tyres	8	6.8	1.1×
structure and attachments	5	4.2	0.7×
lamps and reflectors	5	4.2	0.4×
fuel and exhaust	4	3.4	0.5×
drive system	3	2.5	0.5×

Defects recorded against failed normal tests, 2005–2025, grouped by DVSA inspection section. One test can record multiple defects. "vs all bikes" is how often this model's tests record a defect in the group, as a multiple of the all-bike rate.

How rivals compare

same type, similar capacity, high test volume

On first-time pass rate the XL 1000 VA-6 beats 2 of its 4 closest rivals (BMW R1200, BMW R1150, TRIUMPH SPRINT).

BMW R1200 92.9% pass · 299k tests BMW R1150 88.5% pass · 171k tests TRIUMPH SPRINT 85.6% pass · 133k tests SUZUKI GSF1200 82.4% pass · 97.6k tests

Rivals share this bike's type and sit within ±30% of its engine capacity, ≥ 5,000 tests. Card colour = better/worse first-time pass rate than the XL 1000 VA-6.

Pass rate by registration year

how each model-year cohort fares · registration year from first use date

Best year to buy used: 2006 (87.5% pass). Weakest: 2007 (86.3%).

First-time pass rate by the year each bike was first registered (cohorts with ≥ 50 tests). Older cohorts are survivors: the worst examples have already left the road, which tends to lift the earliest years.

HONDA XL 1000 VA-6 FAQ

answers computed from the data above · terms in the glossary

Is the HONDA XL 1000 VA-6 reliable?

The HONDA XL 1000 VA-6 is about average for its class: 86.8% of its 795 MOT tests (2005–2025) passed first time, against a class average of 84.9%. That ranks it #1962 of 5426 models.

What does a XL 1000 VA-6 fail its MOT on most?

brakes — 26% of all defects recorded against failed XL 1000 VA-6 tests.

How many miles will a XL 1000 VA-6 last?

The median XL 1000 VA-6 shows 18,320 miles at test, and examples around 40k miles still pass 73.6% of the time — mileage alone rarely kills one.