HARLEY-DAVIDSON XL 883 L SUPERLOW

883cc Petrol Class 2

#959 of 5426 overall #147 of 397 HARLEY-DAVIDSONs #181 of 465 cruiser bikes

90.0%

first-time pass rate

4.9%

failed outright

6,335

median miles at test

1,084

MOT tests, 2005–2025

Pass rate over time

first-time pass rate by test year · 2013–2025

The XL 883 L SUPERLOW's first-time pass rate has fallen 3.5 points since 2013, 93.3% to 89.8%.

Pass rate by mileage

how the XL 883 L SUPERLOW's first-time pass rate falls with the odometer · class average 84.9%

A low-mileage XL 883 L SUPERLOW passes first time 91.9% of the time; by 20k that's 75.0%.

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 XL 883 L SUPERLOW

failure defects by component group · advisories excluded

Component group	Defects	% of defects	vs all bikes
lamps and reflectors	28	30.4	1.2×
brakes	17	18.5	0.2×
lighting and signalling	9	9.8	0.2×
tyres	8	8.7	1.1×
structure and attachments	7	7.6	0.8×
Identification of the vehicle	6	6.5	2.4×
tyres and wheels	5	5.4	0.2×
reg plates and vin	5	5.4	0.6×
suspension	4	4.3	0.4×
steering	3	3.3	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 XL 883 L SUPERLOW beats 4 of its 4 closest rivals (TRIUMPH BONNEVILLE, TRIUMPH THUNDERBIRD, HARLEY-DAVIDSON XLH 883).

TRIUMPH BONNEVILLE 89.0% pass · 195k tests TRIUMPH THUNDERBIRD 87.8% pass · 56.3k tests HARLEY-DAVIDSON XLH 883 87.4% pass · 41.2k tests HARLEY-DAVIDSON XL 87.9% pass · 18.5k 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 XL 883 L SUPERLOW.

Pass rate by registration year

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

Best year to buy used: 2010 (91.7% pass). Weakest: 2011 (89.3%).

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 883 L SUPERLOW FAQ

answers computed from the data above · terms in the glossary

Is the HARLEY-DAVIDSON XL 883 L SUPERLOW reliable?

The HARLEY-DAVIDSON XL 883 L SUPERLOW is more reliable than average for its class: 90.0% of its 1,084 MOT tests (2005–2025) passed first time, against a class average of 84.9%. That ranks it #959 of 5426 models.

What does a XL 883 L SUPERLOW fail its MOT on most?

lamps and reflectors — 30% of all defects recorded against failed XL 883 L SUPERLOW tests.

How many miles will a XL 883 L SUPERLOW last?

The median XL 883 L SUPERLOW shows 6,335 miles at test, and examples around 20k miles still pass 75.0% of the time — mileage alone rarely kills one.