HARLEY-DAVIDSON XL 883 L SUPERLOW 17

883cc Petrol Class 2

#433 of 5426 overall #63 of 397 HARLEY-DAVIDSONs #82 of 465 cruiser bikes

92.2%

first-time pass rate

3.1%

failed outright

4,508

median miles at test

256

MOT tests, 2005–2025

Pass rate over time

first-time pass rate by test year · 2020–2025

The XL 883 L SUPERLOW 17's first-time pass rate has fallen 4.0 points since 2020, 93.5% to 89.5%.

What fails on a XL 883 L SUPERLOW 17

failure defects by component group · advisories excluded

Component group	Defects	% of defects
tyres	7	50
lamps and reflectors	4	28.6
audible warning (Horn)	1	7.1
brakes	1	7.1
structure and attachments	1	7.1

Defects recorded against failed normal tests, 2005–2025, grouped by DVSA inspection section. One test can record multiple defects.

How rivals compare

same type, similar capacity, high test volume

On first-time pass rate the XL 883 L SUPERLOW 17 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 17.

Pass rate by registration year

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

Best year to buy used: 2018 (92.0% pass). Weakest: 2017 (91.5%).

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.