HONDA XL600 VJ

583cc Petrol Class 2

#3601 of 5426 overall #640 of 921 HONDAs #2295 of 2787 other bikes

79.9%

first-time pass rate

9.7%

failed outright

38,939

median miles at test

528

MOT tests, 2005–2025

Pass rate over time

first-time pass rate by test year · 2006–2014

The XL600 VJ's first-time pass rate has risen 1.7 points since 2006, 77.1% to 78.8%.

Pass rate by mileage

how the XL600 VJ's first-time pass rate falls with the odometer · class average 84.9%

A low-mileage XL600 VJ passes first time 79.5% of the time; by 50k that's 70.7%.

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 XL600 VJ

failure defects by component group · advisories excluded

Component group	Defects	% of defects	vs all bikes
brakes	31	27.9	1.0×
lighting and signalling	22	19.8	0.9×
steering and suspension	20	18	0.9×
tyres and wheels	13	11.7	1.1×
body and structure	8	7.2	2.4×
drive system	6	5.4	1.6×
driving controls	6	5.4	4.0×
fuel and exhaust	3	2.7	0.7×
steering	1	0.9	0.5×
reg plates and vin	1	0.9	0.3×

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 XL600 VJ beats 2 of its 4 closest rivals (KAWASAKI ZX-6R, SUZUKI GSF600, YAMAHA FZS600).

KAWASAKI ZX-6R 78.1% pass · 174k tests SUZUKI GSF600 77.3% pass · 143k tests YAMAHA FZS600 82.6% pass · 137k tests SUZUKI SV650S 80.6% pass · 84.6k 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 XL600 VJ.

Pass rate by registration year

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

Best year to buy used: 1988 (82.7% pass). Weakest: 1989 (77.7%).

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 XL600 VJ FAQ

answers computed from the data above · terms in the glossary

Is the HONDA XL600 VJ reliable?

The HONDA XL600 VJ is less reliable than average for its class: 79.9% of its 528 MOT tests (2005–2025) passed first time, against a class average of 84.9%. That ranks it #3601 of 5426 models.

What does a XL600 VJ fail its MOT on most?

brakes — 28% of all defects recorded against failed XL600 VJ tests.

How many miles will a XL600 VJ last?

The median XL600 VJ shows 38,939 miles at test, and examples around 50k miles still pass 70.7% of the time — mileage alone rarely kills one.