BIKERELIABILITY Reg check
League table/ HARLEY-DAVIDSON/XL
Model report · 2005–2025

Data as of: DVSA MOT results to 2025

HARLEY-DAVIDSON XL

883cc Petrol Class 2
#1639 of 5428 overall #276 of 397 HARLEY-DAVIDSONs #327 of 465 cruiser bikes
Harley-Davidson XL
Photo: Michael Barera · CC BY-SA 4.0
87.9%
first-time pass rate
5.3%
failed outright
6,108
median miles at test
18.5k
MOT tests, 2005–2025
-0.1pp
vs expected · age & mileage

The pass rate is the MOT first-time pass: a roadworthiness check of the items an MOT covers (brakes, lights, tyres, steering, structure, emissions), not a full mechanical inspection of engine or gearbox internals. It is a reliability signal, not a complete measure of mechanical reliability. What this measures.

“vs expected” adjusts for age, mileage and test class, so a cherished classic and a hard-used commuter are compared fairly. How this works.

Pass rate over time

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

The XL's first-time pass rate has fallen 2.2 points since 2006, 89.7% to 87.5%.

80%88%96%2006: 89.7% pass (58 tests)2007: 92.9% pass (56 tests)2008: 93.4% pass (61 tests)2009: 83.6% pass (61 tests)2010: 85.9% pass (71 tests)2011: 91.5% pass (59 tests)2012: 87.8% pass (74 tests)2013: 89.2% pass (74 tests)2014: 84.8% pass (79 tests)2015: 85.4% pass (82 tests)2016: 82.3% pass (113 tests)2017: 86.2% pass (785 tests)2018: 87.1% pass (1,402 tests)2019: 86.5% pass (2,273 tests)2020: 89.4% pass (1,996 tests)2021: 88.8% pass (2,534 tests)2022: 88.5% pass (2,475 tests)2023: 88.4% pass (2,421 tests)2024: 87.6% pass (1,893 tests)2025: 87.5% pass (1,965 tests)20062025

Pass rate by mileage

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

A low-mileage XL passes first time 89.0% of the time; by 40k that's 82.3%.

81%86%90%0k: 89.0% pass (13,309 tests)10k: 85.5% pass (3,720 tests)20k: 85.6% pass (987 tests)30k: 83.6% pass (262 tests)40k: 82.3% pass (79 tests)0k20k40k

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 XL

failure defects by component group · advisories excluded
Component group Share of defects Defects % of defects vs all bikes
lamps and reflectors
727 40.2 1.7×
brakes
209 11.6 0.2×
Identification of the vehicle
207 11.4 4.7×
structure and attachments
205 11.3 1.4×
suspension
125 6.9 0.8×
lighting and signalling
112 6.2 0.1×
tyres
96 5.3 0.6×
steering
57 3.2 0.6×
reg plates and vin
49 2.7 0.3×
steering and suspension
22 1.2 n/a

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 XL beats 2 of its 4 closest rivals (TRIUMPH BONNEVILLE, TRIUMPH THUNDERBIRD, HARLEY-DAVIDSON XLH 883).

TRIUMPH BONNEVILLE 89.0% pass · 195k tests Compare head-to-head →
TRIUMPH THUNDERBIRD 87.8% pass · 56.3k tests Compare head-to-head →
HARLEY-DAVIDSON XLH 883 87.4% pass · 41.3k tests Compare head-to-head →
TRIUMPH BONNEVILLE T 100 (865) 89.6% pass · 16.2k tests Compare head-to-head →

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 XL.

Compare with any bike

rival not listed above? pick any model to see it head-to-head with the XL

More HARLEY-DAVIDSON models

other HARLEY-DAVIDSON bikes ranked by MOT pass rate
HARLEY-DAVIDSON XLH 883 87.4% pass · 41.3k tests
HARLEY-DAVIDSON FLSTF 89.0% pass · 30.1k tests
HARLEY-DAVIDSON FLSTC 89.4% pass · 23.8k tests
HARLEY-DAVIDSON XL1200C 88.4% pass · 15.7k tests
HARLEY-DAVIDSON XL883 87.2% pass · 14.9k tests
HARLEY-DAVIDSON FXDWG 88.7% pass · 14.6k tests

See all HARLEY-DAVIDSON models →

Pass rate by registration year

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

Highest pass rate: 2011 (93.5%). Lowest: 2005 (71.3%). Every XL year compared →

67%82%98%1990: 89.2% pass (74 tests)1991: 80.5% pass (128 tests)1993: 81.1% pass (90 tests)1994: 89.7% pass (116 tests)1995: 87.1% pass (70 tests)2003: 93.2% pass (74 tests)2004: 91.0% pass (89 tests)2005: 71.3% pass (80 tests)2006: 90.6% pass (128 tests)2007: 87.3% pass (102 tests)2008: 83.8% pass (111 tests)2009: 85.1% pass (114 tests)2010: 88.0% pass (83 tests)2011: 93.5% pass (168 tests)2012: 86.1% pass (267 tests)2013: 85.5% pass (393 tests)2014: 87.8% pass (4,000 tests)2015: 88.7% pass (6,303 tests)2016: 88.2% pass (5,368 tests)2017: 87.6% pass (169 tests)199020082017

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 XL FAQ

answers computed from the data above · terms in the glossary

Is the HARLEY-DAVIDSON XL reliable?

The HARLEY-DAVIDSON XL is more reliable than average for its class: 87.9% of its 18,541 MOT tests (2005–2025) passed first time, against a class average of 84.9%. That ranks it #1639 of 5428 models.

What does a XL fail its MOT on most?

lamps and reflectors: 40% of all defects recorded against failed XL tests.

What is the best year of XL to buy used?

By first-time pass rate, 2011-registered examples do best (93.5%) and 2005 worst (71.3%). Condition and history still trump the year.

How many miles will a XL last?

The median XL shows 6,108 miles at test, and examples around 40k miles still pass 82.3% of the time, so mileage alone rarely decides the result.

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