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1988 Harley Davidson 883 MOT Pass Rate

Pass rate for 883 models manufactured in 1988, based on 54 real MOT test results.

83.3%
Pass Rate
16.7%
Fail Rate
54
Total Tests
24,123
Avg Mileage

Data from official DVSA MOT testing records

1988 Harley Davidson 883 MOT Analysis

The 1988 Harley Davidson 883 has an MOT pass rate of 83.3% based on 54 tests — well above the UK average for UK vehicles. Cars of this vintage present for MOT with an average of 24,123 miles on the odometer. With a 16.7% failure rate, the 1988 883 is rated as "Excellent" for MOT reliability.

The leading cause of MOT failure for the 1988 Harley Davidson 883 is Motorcycle suspension, responsible for 3.7% of failures. Suspension failures typically involve worn bushes, leaking shock absorbers, broken coil springs, and damaged suspension arms. These affect ride quality, tyre wear, and road holding. Typical repair costs range from £200–500. Motorcycle audible warning (Horn) is the second most common issue at 1.9%.

⚠ Based on limited data (54 tests)

Top failures specific to 1988 models only. The overall 883 page may show different rankings.

What Fails Most

Motorcycle suspension 3.7%
Motorcycle audible warning (Horn) 1.9%

What Fails on This Car?

Click a category to see specific failure items.

View as table
MOT failure categories ranked by failure rate
RankFailure CategoryRate (%)Count
1Motorcycle Suspension3.7%2
2Motorcycle Audible Warning (Horn)1.9%1

Failures per 10,000 Miles

avg. 24,123 mi

For every 10,000 miles driven, this shows what percentage of MOT tests fail for each category. This accounts for how far cars are actually driven, not just raw pass/fail counts.

Motorcycle suspension1.54% per 10K miMotorcycle audible warning (Horn)0.77% per 10K mi
View as table
Mileage-normalised failure rates by category
CategoryRate / 10K miRaw %Count
Motorcycle suspension1.543.7%2
Motorcycle audible warning (Horn)0.771.9%1

Mileage Statistics

24,123
Mean
21,434
Median
19,000
25th Percentile
32,078
75th Percentile
6.92% failures per 10K miles

Mileage-adjusted failure rate — accounts for how much this model year is typically driven.

About This Data

The 1988 Harley Davidson 883 has an MOT pass rate of 83.3% based on 54 tests — well above the UK average for UK vehicles. Cars of this vintage present for MOT with an average of 24,123 miles on the odometer. With a 16.7% failure rate, the 1988 883 is rated as "Excellent" for MOT reliability.

If you own or are considering buying a 1988 Harley Davidson 883, you can expect reliable MOT performance overall. Before your MOT, pay particular attention to motorcycle suspension: Look for uneven tyre wear, listen for clunking over bumps, and check if the car pulls to one side. A bouncy ride suggests worn shock absorbers. Visually inspect coil springs for cracks. With relatively low average mileage of 24,123 miles, many of these vehicles are still in good mechanical condition.

Motorcycle suspension — 3.7% of failures

Motorcycle suspension issues account for 3.7% of MOT failures on 1988 Harley Davidson 883 models. Suspension failures typically involve worn bushes, leaking shock absorbers, broken coil springs, and damaged suspension arms. These affect ride quality, tyre wear, and road holding. Typical repair costs: £200–500. Pre-MOT check: Look for uneven tyre wear, listen for clunking over bumps, and check if the car pulls to one side. A bouncy ride suggests worn shock absorbers. Visually inspect coil springs for cracks.

Motorcycle audible warning (Horn) — 1.9% of failures

Motorcycle audible warning (Horn) issues account for 1.9% of MOT failures on 1988 Harley Davidson 883 models. Motorcycle audible warning (Horn) issues are a common cause of MOT failure. Regular inspection and maintenance of these components helps ensure your vehicle passes its MOT. Typical repair costs: £100–400. Pre-MOT check: Have this system checked during regular servicing. Look for warning signs like unusual noises, vibrations, or dashboard warning lights.

Based on DVSA anonymised MOT test data (2005–2024). Crown copyright, Open Government Licence v3.0.

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