HARLEY-DAVIDSON FLHC

1340cc Petrol Class 2

#1722 of 5426 overall #291 of 397 HARLEY-DAVIDSONs #344 of 465 cruiser bikes

87.6%

first-time pass rate

6.0%

failed outright

19,273

median miles at test

533

MOT tests, 2005–2025

Pass rate over time

first-time pass rate by test year · 2006–2017

The FLHC's first-time pass rate has fallen 1.3 points since 2006, 88.4% to 87.1%.

Pass rate by mileage

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

A low-mileage FLHC passes first time 86.5% of the time; by 50k that's 83.9%.

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 FLHC

failure defects by component group · advisories excluded

Component group	Defects	% of defects	vs all bikes
lighting and signalling	32	36.8	0.9×
brakes	23	26.4	0.7×
steering and suspension	8	9.2	0.4×
tyres and wheels	7	8	0.5×
reg plates and vin	6	6.9	1.3×
fuel and exhaust	5	5.7	1.2×
driving controls	2	2.3	1.6×
suspension	2	2.3	0.5×
steering	1	1.1	0.5×
lamps and reflectors	1	1.1	0.1×

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 FLHC beats 0 of its 4 closest rivals (HARLEY-DAVIDSON FLSTF, HARLEY-DAVIDSON FLSTC, HARLEY-DAVIDSON XL1200C).

HARLEY-DAVIDSON FLSTF 88.9% pass · 30.1k tests HARLEY-DAVIDSON FLSTC 89.4% pass · 23.7k tests HARLEY-DAVIDSON XL1200C 88.4% pass · 15.7k tests HARLEY-DAVIDSON FXDWG 88.7% pass · 14.6k 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 FLHC.

Pass rate by registration year

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

Best year to buy used: 1981 (93.8% pass). Weakest: 1981 (93.8%).

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.

HARLEY-DAVIDSON FLHC FAQ

answers computed from the data above · terms in the glossary

Is the HARLEY-DAVIDSON FLHC reliable?

The HARLEY-DAVIDSON FLHC is more reliable than average for its class: 87.6% of its 533 MOT tests (2005–2025) passed first time, against a class average of 84.9%. That ranks it #1722 of 5426 models.

What does a FLHC fail its MOT on most?

lighting and signalling — 37% of all defects recorded against failed FLHC tests.

How many miles will a FLHC last?

The median FLHC shows 19,273 miles at test, and examples around 50k miles still pass 83.9% of the time — mileage alone rarely kills one.