HARLEY-DAVIDSON XL883L

883cc Petrol Class 2

#1111 of 5426 overall #178 of 397 HARLEY-DAVIDSONs #216 of 465 cruiser bikes

89.5%

first-time pass rate

4.2%

failed outright

6,831

median miles at test

286

MOT tests, 2005–2025

What fails on a XL883L

failure defects by component group · advisories excluded

Component group	Defects	% of defects
lamps and reflectors	13	50
lighting and signalling	3	11.5
suspension	3	11.5
Identification of the vehicle	2	7.7
brakes	2	7.7
structure and attachments	1	3.8
fuel and exhaust	1	3.8
tyres	1	3.8

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 XL883L 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 XL883L.

Pass rate by registration year

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

Best year to buy used: 2005 (86.2% pass). Weakest: 2005 (86.2%).

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.