Suzuki DL 650 X AM1 vs Honda VFR800 Fi

The Suzuki DL 650 X AM1 passes its MOT first time more often than the Honda VFR800 Fi: 97.0% vs 86.7%, a 10.3-point lead.

MOT reliability, side by side

first-time pass rate, outright fail rate and tests analysed · 2005–2025

Metric	Suzuki DL 650 X AM1	Honda VFR800 Fi
First-time pass rate	97.0%	86.7%
Outright fail rate	1.9%	8.5%
Vs comparable bikes (age & mileage adjusted)	+8.4 pts	+4.5 pts
Engine size	645cc	781cc
Rank among all models	#9 of 5428	#1985 of 5428
Median miles at test	7,413	26,212
MOT tests analysed	361	89,421
Most common failure	brakes	brakes

First-time outcomes on normal tests, 2005–2025. "Most common failure" is the component group with the most recorded defects on failed tests. Read pass rates against test counts: a smaller sample is noisier. Source: DVSA anonymised MOT results.

"Vs comparable bikes" is the first-time pass rate minus the rate expected for each bike's own mix of age, mileage and test class, in percentage points: positive means better than comparable bikes. How this works.

Pass rate by mileage

first-time MOT pass rate by miles on the clock at test

Mileage	Suzuki DL 650 X AM1	Honda VFR800 Fi
0k-10k miles	98.0%	92.5%
10k-20k miles	94.0%	89.4%

Bands with fewer than 30 tests for either bike are left out.

SUZUKI DL 650 X AM1 97.0% pass · 361 tests HONDA VFR800 FI 86.7% pass · 89.4k tests

See each bike's full report (trend, mileage curve, failure breakdown and rivals) on its own page.