HARLEY-DAVIDSON XL vs TRIUMPH BONNEVILLE

The TRIUMPH BONNEVILLE passes its MOT first time more often than the HARLEY-DAVIDSON XL — 89.0% vs 87.9%, a 1.1-point lead.

MOT reliability, side by side

first-time pass rate, outright fail rate and tests analysed · 2005–2025

Metric	HARLEY-DAVIDSON XL	TRIUMPH BONNEVILLE
First-time pass rate	87.9%	89.0%
Outright fail rate	5.3%	5.0%
Median miles at test	6,112	7,619
MOT tests analysed	18,536	195,256
Most common failure	lamps and reflectors	brakes

First-time outcomes on normal tests, 2005–2025. "Most common failure" is the component group with the most recorded defects on failed tests. Read pass rates against test counts: a smaller sample is noisier. Source: DVSA anonymised MOT results.

HARLEY-DAVIDSON XL 87.9% pass · 18.5k tests TRIUMPH BONNEVILLE 89.0% pass · 195k tests

See each bike's full report — trend, mileage curve, failure breakdown and rivals — on its own page.