HONDA XL 125 V-6

125cc Petrol Class 1

#4579 of 5426 overall #868 of 921 HONDAs #314 of 734 commuter bikes

72.0%

first-time pass rate

19.6%

failed outright

14,435

median miles at test

1,846

MOT tests, 2005–2025

Pass rate over time

first-time pass rate by test year · 2009–2025

The XL 125 V-6's first-time pass rate has fallen 18.1 points since 2009, 80.8% to 62.7%.

Pass rate by mileage

how the XL 125 V-6's first-time pass rate falls with the odometer · class average 73.4%

A low-mileage XL 125 V-6 passes first time 81.0% of the time; by 40k that's 74.6%.

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 125 V-6

failure defects by component group · advisories excluded

Component group	Defects	% of defects	vs all bikes
brakes	299	34.1	2.5×
lighting and signalling	106	12.1	1.1×
steering and suspension	93	10.6	1.4×
drive system	79	9	4.4×
tyres and wheels	75	8.6	1.6×
lamps and reflectors	74	8.4	1.9×
structure and attachments	55	6.3	2.9×
suspension	45	5.1	2.6×
tyres	31	3.5	1.9×
steering	20	2.3	2.5×

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 125 V-6 beats 2 of its 4 closest rivals (YAMAHA YBR 125, HONDA CG125, HONDA CBF125).

YAMAHA YBR 125 71.0% pass · 125k tests HONDA CG125 72.2% pass · 89.3k tests HONDA CBF125 73.3% pass · 84.4k tests GILERA RUNNER 70.8% pass · 69.9k 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 125 V-6.

Pass rate by registration year

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

Best year to buy used: 2006 (73.4% pass). Weakest: 2007 (66.9%).

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 125 V-6 FAQ

answers computed from the data above · terms in the glossary

Is the HONDA XL 125 V-6 reliable?

The HONDA XL 125 V-6 is about average for its class: 72.0% of its 1,846 MOT tests (2005–2025) passed first time, against a class average of 73.4%. That ranks it #4579 of 5426 models.

What does a XL 125 V-6 fail its MOT on most?

brakes — 34% of all defects recorded against failed XL 125 V-6 tests.

How many miles will a XL 125 V-6 last?

The median XL 125 V-6 shows 14,435 miles at test, and examples around 40k miles still pass 74.6% of the time — mileage alone rarely kills one.