Indian Motorcycle Chief vs Harley-Davidson Fxdwg

The Indian Motorcycle Chief passes its MOT first time more often than the Harley-Davidson Fxdwg: 93.8% vs 88.7%, a 5.1-point lead.

MOT reliability, side by side

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

Metric	Indian Motorcycle Chief	Harley-Davidson Fxdwg
First-time pass rate	93.8%	88.7%
Outright fail rate	3.4%	5.0%
Vs comparable bikes (age & mileage adjusted)	+5.7 pts	+4.2 pts
Engine size	1,811cc	1,450cc
Rank among all models	#198 of 5428	#1370 of 5428
Median miles at test	8,000	16,028
MOT tests analysed	1,096	14,585
Most common failure	lamps and reflectors	lighting and signalling

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.

"Vs comparable bikes" is the first-time pass rate minus the rate expected for each bike's own mix of age, mileage and test class, in percentage points: positive means better than comparable bikes. How this works.

What fails, side by side

share of each bike's MOT tests that failed on the component · lower is better

Component	Indian Motorcycle Chief	Harley-Davidson Fxdwg
Lights & signalling	1.6%	2.5%
Tyres & wheels	0.8%	1.1%
Steering & suspension	0.8%	0.8%
Brakes	0.3%	1.2%
Structure & body	0.5%	0.3%
Fuel & exhaust	0%	0.6%

A test that fails on two components counts once in each. Component links go to the bikes most likely to fail on it.

Pass rate by test year

first-time MOT pass rate in each calendar year both bikes were tested

Test year	Indian Motorcycle Chief	Harley-Davidson Fxdwg
2018	92.7%	87.6%
2019	96.4%	89.5%
2020	96.2%	90.7%
2021	92.9%	89.2%
2022	97.2%	87.2%
2023	93.1%	91.6%
2024	95.9%	88.4%
2025	93.1%	90.7%

Each year mixes bikes of different ages, so a fleet that is getting older tends to slip.

Pass rate by mileage

first-time MOT pass rate by miles on the clock at test

Mileage	Indian Motorcycle Chief	Harley-Davidson Fxdwg
0k-10k miles	93.9%	90.6%
10k-20k miles	93.7%	88.4%
20k-30k miles	92.4%	88.6%

Bands with fewer than 30 tests for either bike are left out.

Indian Motorcycle Chief vs Harley-Davidson Fxdwg FAQ

answers computed from the data above · terms in the glossary

Which is more reliable, the Indian Motorcycle Chief or the Harley-Davidson Fxdwg?

The Indian Motorcycle Chief passes its MOT first time more often than the Harley-Davidson Fxdwg: 93.8% vs 88.7%, a 5.1-point lead. Adjusted for age, mileage and test class, the Indian Motorcycle Chief still comes out ahead: +5.7 points vs comparable bikes for the Indian Motorcycle Chief, +4.2 for the Harley-Davidson Fxdwg. An MOT checks roadworthiness items, not engine or gearbox internals.

What does the Indian Motorcycle Chief fail its MOT on most?

Lights & signalling: 1.6% of Indian Motorcycle Chief MOT tests failed on it, then tyres & wheels (0.8%).

What does the Harley-Davidson Fxdwg fail its MOT on most?

Lights & signalling: 2.5% of Harley-Davidson Fxdwg MOT tests failed on it, then brakes (1.2%).

Which holds up better at high mileage, the Indian Motorcycle Chief or the Harley-Davidson Fxdwg?

At 20k-30k miles the Indian Motorcycle Chief passes first time more often: 92.4% for the Indian Motorcycle Chief vs 88.6% for the Harley-Davidson Fxdwg.

INDIAN MOTORCYCLE CHIEF 93.8% pass · 1,096 tests HARLEY-DAVIDSON FXDWG 88.7% pass · 14.6k tests

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