HARLEY-DAVIDSON FLSTFIA

1550cc Petrol Class 2

#1212 of 5426 overall #194 of 397 HARLEY-DAVIDSONs #234 of 465 cruiser bikes

89.2%

first-time pass rate

4.3%

failed outright

9,019

median miles at test

1,584

MOT tests, 2005–2025

Pass rate over time

first-time pass rate by test year · 2008–2025

The FLSTFIA's first-time pass rate has risen 5.6 points since 2008, 84.4% to 90.0%.

Pass rate by mileage

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

A low-mileage FLSTFIA passes first time 89.5% of the time; by 30k that's 93.7%.

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 FLSTFIA

failure defects by component group · advisories excluded

Component group	Defects	% of defects	vs all bikes
lighting and signalling	32	28.1	0.3×
reg plates and vin	25	21.9	2.0×
fuel and exhaust	24	21.1	1.9×
brakes	10	8.8	0.1×
lamps and reflectors	7	6.1	0.2×
tyres and wheels	6	5.3	0.2×
driving controls	3	2.6	0.8×
tyres	3	2.6	0.3×
structure and attachments	2	1.8	0.2×
Identification of the vehicle	2	1.8	0.5×

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 FLSTFIA beats 3 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 FLSTFIA.

Pass rate by registration year

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

Best year to buy used: 2005 (89.2% pass). Weakest: 2005 (89.2%).

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 FLSTFIA FAQ

answers computed from the data above · terms in the glossary

Is the HARLEY-DAVIDSON FLSTFIA reliable?

The HARLEY-DAVIDSON FLSTFIA is more reliable than average for its class: 89.2% of its 1,584 MOT tests (2005–2025) passed first time, against a class average of 84.9%. That ranks it #1212 of 5426 models.

What does a FLSTFIA fail its MOT on most?

lighting and signalling — 28% of all defects recorded against failed FLSTFIA tests.

How many miles will a FLSTFIA last?

The median FLSTFIA shows 9,019 miles at test, and examples around 30k miles still pass 93.7% of the time — mileage alone rarely kills one.