Honda XR400 MOT pass rate and common failures
Honda XR400 motorcycles pass the MOT 86.28% of the time, measured across 379 tests in the DVSA record. A further 7.39% passed only after a defect was put right at the test station.
What to check before the MOT
Built from this model's own failure record, not general advice.
- Start with not working - it accounts for 58.3% of failed tests on this model.
- Then check missing and has excessive play, the next two most common reasons.
- The most common advisory is has excessive play (5.3% of all tests) - not a failure, but money you will spend sooner or later.
- Average recorded mileage at test is 9,899 miles, which is the number to compare any advert against.
Pass rate by age
A single pass rate hides the most useful thing in this data: how the same model behaves at three years old and at fifteen.
| Age at test | Pass rate | Tests | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 16+ years | 86.4% | 375 |
Why the Honda XR400 fails
Share of failed tests on this model where the item was recorded. One test can fail on several items, so the column does not add up to 100%.
| # | Item | Of failures | Tests | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Not working | 58.3% | 14 | |
| 2 | Missing | 50% | 12 | |
| 3 | Has excessive play | 20.8% | 5 | |
| 4 | Does not illuminate simultaneously with the position lamp(s) | 16.7% | 4 | |
| 5 | Missing in the case of a single lamp or all lamps | 16.7% | 4 | |
| 6 | Too high | 16.7% | 4 | |
| 7 | Not fitted in accordance with side wall instructions | 12.5% | 3 | |
| 8 | Not working on dipped beam | 12.5% | 3 | |
| 9 | Not working on main beam | 12.5% | 3 | |
| 10 | Spoke excessively loose | 12.5% | 3 |
Most common advisories
Not a failure and not a legal requirement to fix - but an advisory that repeats year after year is money the next owner spends.
| # | Item | Of all tests | Tests | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Has excessive play | 5.3% | 20 | |
| 2 | Chain guard missing | 4.5% | 17 | |
| 3 | Noise is clearly in excess of that emitted by a similar motorcycle fitted with a standard silencer in average condition | 4.2% | 16 | |
| 4 | Sprocket worn to excess | 3.4% | 13 | |
| 5 | Worn to excess | 2.4% | 9 | |
| 6 | In such a condition that it is seriously weakened | 2.1% | 8 | |
| 7 | Significantly and obviously worn | 2.1% | 8 | |
| 8 | Excessively loose | 1.8% | 7 | |
| 9 | Less than 1.0 mm thick | 1.8% | 7 | |
| 10 | Excessively binding | 1.6% | 6 |
Honda XR400 for sale
No Honda XR400 in stock at the moment - 74 other Honda bikes are advertised.
Similar bikes compared
Models of comparable capacity, so the comparison means something.
| Model | Tests | Pass rate | Avg mileage | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Honda CB 397-750cc · 397-750cc | 5,400 | 89.76% | 19,444 | |
| Royal Enfield HIMALAYAN · 411cc | 2,371 | 88.49% | 8,163 | |
| Royal Enfield METEOR 350 · 349cc | 2,133 | 93.95% | 4,543 | |
| Honda CB500 · 497cc | 1,300 | 84.08% | 34,941 | |
| Honda CRF 300 LA-M · 286cc | 1,297 | 88.43% | 3,963 | |
| BMW G310 · 313cc | 1,129 | 90.79% | 7,243 |
Source: DVSA MOT testing data, 2025 · updated Aug 2026 · licence and method