HARLEY-DAVIDSON FLSTI

1449cc Petrol Class 2

#1024 of 5426 overall #163 of 397 HARLEY-DAVIDSONs #197 of 465 cruiser bikes

89.8%

first-time pass rate

5.4%

failed outright

14,024

median miles at test

537

MOT tests, 2005–2025

Pass rate over time

first-time pass rate by test year · 2009–2022

The FLSTI's first-time pass rate has risen 17.2 points since 2009, 76.6% to 93.8%.

Pass rate by mileage

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

A low-mileage FLSTI passes first time 85.5% of the time; by 30k that's 98.0%.

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 FLSTI

failure defects by component group · advisories excluded

Component group	Defects	% of defects	vs all bikes
lighting and signalling	12	23.5	0.5×
brakes	9	17.6	0.4×
fuel and exhaust	7	13.7	1.7×
lamps and reflectors	7	13.7	0.6×
reg plates and vin	6	11.8	1.0×
tyres and wheels	4	7.8	0.2×
Identification of the vehicle	4	7.8	3.2×
tyres	1	2	0.3×
steering and suspension	1	2	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 FLSTI beats 4 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 FLSTI.

Pass rate by registration year

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

Best year to buy used: 2006 (89.4% pass). Weakest: 2005 (86.6%).

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.

HARLEY-DAVIDSON FLSTI FAQ

answers computed from the data above · terms in the glossary

Is the HARLEY-DAVIDSON FLSTI reliable?

The HARLEY-DAVIDSON FLSTI is more reliable than average for its class: 89.8% of its 537 MOT tests (2005–2025) passed first time, against a class average of 84.9%. That ranks it #1024 of 5426 models.

What does a FLSTI fail its MOT on most?

lighting and signalling — 24% of all defects recorded against failed FLSTI tests.

How many miles will a FLSTI last?

The median FLSTI shows 14,024 miles at test, and examples around 30k miles still pass 98.0% of the time — mileage alone rarely kills one.