HONDA XL 1000 VA-9

996cc Petrol Class 2

#1111 of 5426 overall #127 of 921 HONDAs #678 of 2787 other bikes

89.5%

first-time pass rate

7.7%

failed outright

16,346

median miles at test

535

MOT tests, 2005–2025

Pass rate over time

first-time pass rate by test year · 2012–2021

The XL 1000 VA-9's first-time pass rate has fallen 7.1 points since 2012, 91.5% to 84.4%.

Pass rate by mileage

how the XL 1000 VA-9's first-time pass rate falls with the odometer · class average 84.9%

A low-mileage XL 1000 VA-9 passes first time 92.7% of the time; by 40k that's 91.4%.

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-9

failure defects by component group · advisories excluded

Component group	Defects	% of defects	vs all bikes
brakes	26	30.2	0.8×
tyres and wheels	18	20.9	1.3×
suspension	9	10.5	2.0×
lighting and signalling	8	9.3	0.1×
steering and suspension	6	7	0.3×
lamps and reflectors	5	5.8	0.6×
structure and attachments	5	5.8	0.8×
tyres	4	4.7	1.1×
steering	3	3.5	1.3×
fuel and exhaust	2	2.3	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-9 beats 3 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-9.

Pass rate by registration year

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

Best year to buy used: 2009 (91.8% pass). Weakest: 2010 (84.9%).

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-9 FAQ

answers computed from the data above · terms in the glossary

Is the HONDA XL 1000 VA-9 reliable?

The HONDA XL 1000 VA-9 is more reliable than average for its class: 89.5% of its 535 MOT tests (2005–2025) passed first time, against a class average of 84.9%. That ranks it #1111 of 5426 models.

What does a XL 1000 VA-9 fail its MOT on most?

brakes — 30% of all defects recorded against failed XL 1000 VA-9 tests.

How many miles will a XL 1000 VA-9 last?

The median XL 1000 VA-9 shows 16,346 miles at test, and examples around 40k miles still pass 91.4% of the time — mileage alone rarely kills one.