HONDA XL600 VM

583cc Petrol Class 2

#3378 of 5426 overall #583 of 921 HONDAs #2157 of 2787 other bikes

81.0%

first-time pass rate

12.4%

failed outright

38,412

median miles at test

515

MOT tests, 2005–2025

Pass rate over time

first-time pass rate by test year · 2006–2016

The XL600 VM's first-time pass rate has fallen 1.3 points since 2006, 82.6% to 81.3%.

Pass rate by mileage

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

A low-mileage XL600 VM passes first time 83.7% of the time; by 50k that's 81.8%.

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 VM

failure defects by component group · advisories excluded

Component group	Defects	% of defects	vs all bikes
brakes	36	27.3	1.3×
lighting and signalling	35	26.5	1.1×
steering and suspension	24	18.2	1.1×
tyres and wheels	13	9.8	1.2×
drive system	8	6.1	1.9×
driving controls	4	3	2.5×
lamps and reflectors	4	3	0.4×
steering	3	2.3	1.4×
fuel and exhaust	3	2.3	0.8×
reg plates and vin	2	1.5	0.7×

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 VM beats 3 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 VM.

Pass rate by registration year

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

Best year to buy used: 1991 (83.3% pass). Weakest: 1992 (79.6%).

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 VM FAQ

answers computed from the data above · terms in the glossary

Is the HONDA XL600 VM reliable?

The HONDA XL600 VM is less reliable than average for its class: 81.0% of its 515 MOT tests (2005–2025) passed first time, against a class average of 84.9%. That ranks it #3378 of 5426 models.

What does a XL600 VM fail its MOT on most?

brakes — 27% of all defects recorded against failed XL600 VM tests.

How many miles will a XL600 VM last?

The median XL600 VM shows 38,412 miles at test, and examples around 50k miles still pass 81.8% of the time — mileage alone rarely kills one.