HARLEY-DAVIDSON XL 883 N IRON 14

883cc Petrol Class 2

#2264 of 5426 overall #364 of 397 HARLEY-DAVIDSONs #418 of 465 cruiser bikes

85.8%

first-time pass rate

7.9%

failed outright

7,924

median miles at test

239

MOT tests, 2005–2025

What fails on a XL 883 N IRON 14

failure defects by component group · advisories excluded

Component group	Defects	% of defects
lamps and reflectors	14	33.3
lighting and signalling	7	16.7
tyres	5	11.9
reg plates and vin	4	9.5
brakes	4	9.5
suspension	4	9.5
Identification of the vehicle	3	7.1
structure and attachments	1	2.4

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 N IRON 14 beats 0 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 N IRON 14.

Pass rate by registration year

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

Best year to buy used: 2013 (85.3% pass). Weakest: 2013 (85.3%).

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.