BIKERELIABILITY
MOT DATA · GREAT BRITAIN · 2005–2025
League table/ HARLEY-DAVIDSON/ROAD KING
Model report · 2005–2025

HARLEY-DAVIDSON ROAD KING

1340cc Petrol Class 2
#988 of 5426 overall #156 of 397 HARLEY-DAVIDSONs #190 of 465 cruiser bikes
89.9%
first-time pass rate
5.5%
failed outright
22,354
median miles at test
2,350
MOT tests, 2005–2025

Pass rate over time

first-time pass rate by test year · 2006–2025

The ROAD KING's first-time pass rate has fallen 2.7 points since 2006, 93.2% to 90.5%.

82%89%97%2006: 93.2% pass (103 tests)2007: 88.6% pass (105 tests)2008: 87.6% pass (113 tests)2009: 92.5% pass (107 tests)2010: 90.3% pass (103 tests)2011: 91.5% pass (117 tests)2012: 90.2% pass (122 tests)2013: 84.6% pass (123 tests)2014: 89.3% pass (150 tests)2015: 89.4% pass (151 tests)2016: 87.6% pass (145 tests)2017: 90.6% pass (138 tests)2018: 89.3% pass (103 tests)2019: 94.3% pass (105 tests)2020: 91.4% pass (81 tests)2021: 87.4% pass (127 tests)2022: 86.1% pass (137 tests)2023: 93.0% pass (129 tests)2024: 94.1% pass (85 tests)2025: 90.5% pass (95 tests)20062025

Pass rate by mileage

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

A low-mileage ROAD KING passes first time 88.1% of the time; by 50k that's 80.6%.

78%87%95%0k: 88.1% pass (411 tests)10k: 90.1% pass (575 tests)20k: 91.6% pass (610 tests)30k: 92.5% pass (294 tests)40k: 89.7% pass (194 tests)50k: 80.6% pass (108 tests)0k30k50k

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 ROAD KING

failure defects by component group · advisories excluded
Component group Share of defects Defects % of defects vs all bikes
lighting and signalling
63 24.9 0.4×
brakes
52 20.6 0.4×
reg plates and vin
38 15 2.3×
lamps and reflectors
34 13.4 0.6×
tyres and wheels
23 9.1 0.5×
steering and suspension
23 9.1 0.3×
fuel and exhaust
6 2.4 0.3×
Identification of the vehicle
5 2 0.7×
tyres
5 2 0.3×
steering
4 1.6 0.4×

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 ROAD KING 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 ROAD KING.

Pass rate by registration year

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

Best year to buy used: 2009 (95.5% pass). Weakest: 2003 (80.4%).

77%88%99%1994: 89.4% pass (208 tests)1995: 88.5% pass (384 tests)1996: 91.4% pass (383 tests)1997: 91.4% pass (361 tests)1999: 90.4% pass (73 tests)2001: 84.9% pass (86 tests)2003: 80.4% pass (56 tests)2004: 83.8% pass (80 tests)2005: 87.1% pass (62 tests)2006: 92.6% pass (68 tests)2008: 90.7% pass (140 tests)2009: 95.5% pass (66 tests)2010: 90.3% pass (62 tests)2011: 90.8% pass (65 tests)199420042011

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 ROAD KING FAQ

answers computed from the data above · terms in the glossary

Is the HARLEY-DAVIDSON ROAD KING reliable?

The HARLEY-DAVIDSON ROAD KING is more reliable than average for its class: 89.9% of its 2,350 MOT tests (2005–2025) passed first time, against a class average of 84.9%. That ranks it #988 of 5426 models.

What does a ROAD KING fail its MOT on most?

lighting and signalling — 25% of all defects recorded against failed ROAD KING tests.

What is the best year of ROAD KING to buy used?

By first-time pass rate, 2009-registered examples do best (95.5%) and 2003 worst (80.4%). Condition and history still trump the year.

How many miles will a ROAD KING last?

The median ROAD KING shows 22,354 miles at test, and examples around 50k miles still pass 80.6% of the time — mileage alone rarely kills one.