HARLEY-DAVIDSON XL vs TRIUMPH BONNEVILLE AMERICA 865

The TRIUMPH BONNEVILLE AMERICA 865 passes its MOT first time more often than the HARLEY-DAVIDSON XL — 88.8% vs 87.9%, a 0.9-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 AMERICA 865
First-time pass rate	87.9%	88.8%
Outright fail rate	5.3%	6.2%
Median miles at test	6,112	8,669
MOT tests analysed	18,536	5,130
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 AMERICA 865 88.8% pass · 5,130 tests

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