BIKERELIABILITY Reg check
League table/ HARLEY-DAVIDSON/XLH 883
Model report · 2005–2025

HARLEY-DAVIDSON XLH 883

883cc Petrol Class 2
#1787 of 5428 overall #303 of 397 HARLEY-DAVIDSONs #356 of 465 cruiser bikes
87.4%
first-time pass rate
5.9%
failed outright
10,350
median miles at test
41.3k
MOT tests, 2005–2025
+1.6pp
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 · 2005–2025

The XLH 883's first-time pass rate has held steady since 2005 (87.1% → 87.4%).

85%88%91%2005: 87.1% pass (302 tests)2006: 89.9% pass (2,190 tests)2007: 88.4% pass (2,532 tests)2008: 88.6% pass (2,588 tests)2009: 86.6% pass (2,648 tests)2010: 86.0% pass (2,539 tests)2011: 86.1% pass (2,540 tests)2012: 86.8% pass (2,492 tests)2013: 86.1% pass (2,377 tests)2014: 87.3% pass (2,341 tests)2015: 88.4% pass (2,251 tests)2016: 86.5% pass (2,224 tests)2017: 87.7% pass (2,096 tests)2018: 88.4% pass (1,584 tests)2019: 87.2% pass (1,593 tests)2020: 88.9% pass (1,336 tests)2021: 87.8% pass (1,749 tests)2022: 87.1% pass (1,733 tests)2023: 87.1% pass (1,612 tests)2024: 86.4% pass (1,225 tests)2025: 87.4% pass (1,315 tests)20052025

Pass rate by mileage

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

A low-mileage XLH 883 passes first time 89.1% of the time; by 50k that's 88.4%.

83%86%90%0k: 89.1% pass (19,405 tests)10k: 87.0% pass (13,165 tests)20k: 85.3% pass (4,887 tests)30k: 83.7% pass (1,618 tests)40k: 83.6% pass (537 tests)50k: 88.4% pass (224 tests)0k30k50k

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 XLH 883

failure defects by component group · advisories excluded
Component group Share of defects Defects % of defects vs all bikes
lighting and signalling
1,295 27.9 0.5×
brakes
767 16.5 0.3×
lamps and reflectors
684 14.7 0.6×
reg plates and vin
520 11.2 1.6×
steering and suspension
392 8.5 0.3×
fuel and exhaust
291 6.3 0.8×
tyres and wheels
278 6 0.3×
Identification of the vehicle
157 3.4 1.6×
structure and attachments
144 3.1 0.4×
tyres
111 2.4 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 XLH 883 beats 0 of its 4 closest rivals (TRIUMPH BONNEVILLE, TRIUMPH THUNDERBIRD, HARLEY-DAVIDSON XL).

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 XL 87.9% pass · 18.5k 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 XLH 883.

Compare with any bike

rival not listed above? pick any model to see it head-to-head with the XLH 883

More HARLEY-DAVIDSON models

other HARLEY-DAVIDSON bikes ranked by MOT pass rate
HARLEY-DAVIDSON FLSTF 89.0% pass · 30.1k tests
HARLEY-DAVIDSON FLSTC 89.4% pass · 23.8k tests
HARLEY-DAVIDSON XL 87.9% pass · 18.5k 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

Best year to buy used: 2008 (90.2% pass). Weakest: 1986 (77.2%).

75%84%93%1986: 77.2% pass (57 tests)1987: 88.1% pass (159 tests)1988: 79.9% pass (313 tests)1989: 79.6% pass (426 tests)1990: 81.5% pass (595 tests)1991: 82.3% pass (525 tests)1992: 82.7% pass (497 tests)1993: 83.3% pass (402 tests)1994: 81.7% pass (356 tests)1995: 88.4% pass (527 tests)1996: 82.1% pass (403 tests)1997: 85.9% pass (1,212 tests)1998: 86.8% pass (2,386 tests)1999: 86.7% pass (2,963 tests)2000: 86.8% pass (4,474 tests)2001: 87.5% pass (4,364 tests)2002: 88.4% pass (4,483 tests)2003: 88.7% pass (5,911 tests)2004: 88.6% pass (4,334 tests)2005: 89.0% pass (2,278 tests)2006: 89.9% pass (1,571 tests)2007: 87.2% pass (1,121 tests)2008: 90.2% pass (863 tests)2009: 87.3% pass (843 tests)2010: 84.9% pass (73 tests)198619982010

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 XLH 883 FAQ

answers computed from the data above · terms in the glossary

Is the HARLEY-DAVIDSON XLH 883 reliable?

The HARLEY-DAVIDSON XLH 883 is more reliable than average for its class: 87.4% of its 41,267 MOT tests (2005–2025) passed first time, against a class average of 84.9%. That ranks it #1787 of 5428 models.

What does a XLH 883 fail its MOT on most?

lighting and signalling — 28% of all defects recorded against failed XLH 883 tests.

What is the best year of XLH 883 to buy used?

By first-time pass rate, 2008-registered examples do best (90.2%) and 1986 worst (77.2%). Condition and history still trump the year.

How many miles will a XLH 883 last?

The median XLH 883 shows 10,350 miles at test, and examples around 50k miles still pass 88.4% of the time — mileage alone rarely kills one.

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