Triumph Thunderbird Abs 1600 vs Harley-Davidson XL1200C

The Triumph Thunderbird Abs 1600 passes its MOT first time more often than the Harley-Davidson XL1200C — 89.5% vs 88.4%, a 1.1-point lead.

MOT reliability, side by side

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

Metric	Triumph Thunderbird Abs 1600	Harley-Davidson XL1200C
First-time pass rate	89.5%	88.4%
Outright fail rate	6.9%	5.7%
Median miles at test	11,650	9,976
MOT tests analysed	2,200	15,738
Most common failure	brakes	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.

TRIUMPH THUNDERBIRD ABS 1600 89.5% pass · 2,200 tests HARLEY-DAVIDSON XL1200C 88.4% pass · 15.7k tests

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