Harley-davidson Soft Tail MOT Pass Rate
Overall pass rate across all manufacture years, based on 694 real MOT test results. Failure rate: 13.5%.
Data from official DVSA MOT testing records
Harley-davidson Soft Tail MOT Reliability Overview
The Harley-davidson Soft Tail is a rare vehicle in the UK, with 694 MOT test results recorded in our database spanning 11 manufacture years. It has an overall MOT pass rate of 86.5% and a failure rate of 13.5%, which is well above the UK average of approximately 37%.
Based on this data, the Harley-davidson Soft Tail earns a "Excellent" reliability rating. The average Harley-davidson Soft Tail presents for MOT with approximately 24,364 miles on the clock. Manufacture year matters: 2006 models achieve the highest pass rate at 94.1%, while 1992 models have the lowest at 79.5%. This 14.6 percentage point difference suggests notable variation in build quality or component durability across production years.
The most common MOT failure for the Harley-davidson Soft Tail is Motorcycle lighting and signalling, affecting 7.6% of all tests. Motorcycle lighting and signalling issues are a common cause of MOT failure. Regular inspection and maintenance of these components helps ensure your vehicle passes its MOT. The second most common issue is Motorcycle brakes at 5.2%. Motorcycle fuel and exhaust rounds out the top three at 3.5%. Together, these top 3 failure categories account for a significant portion of all MOT failures for this model.
Top failures across all manufacture years combined. Individual year pages may show different top failures.
What Fails Most
Pass Rate by Manufacture Year
* High Fail Rate badge indicates an MOT pass rate below 65% (failure rate above 35%).
What Fails on This Car?
Click a category to see specific failure items.
View as table
| Rank | Failure Category | Rate (%) | Count |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Motorcycle Lighting And Signalling | 8.4% | 58 |
| 2 | Motorcycle Brakes | 5.6% | 39 |
| 3 | Motorcycle Fuel And Exhaust | 3.5% | 24 |
| 4 | Motorcycle Tyres And Wheels | 3.3% | 23 |
| 5 | Motorcycle Lamps And Reflectors | 3.0% | 21 |
| 6 | Motorcycle Reg Plates And Vin | 2.4% | 17 |
| 7 | Motorcycle Steering And Suspension | 1.4% | 10 |
| 8 | Motorcycle Tyres | 0.9% | 6 |
| 9 | Motorcycle Drive System | 0.4% | 3 |
| 10 | Identification Of The Vehicle | 0.4% | 3 |
| 11 | Motorcycle Structure And Attachments | 0.4% | 3 |
| 12 | Motorcycle Steering | 0.3% | 2 |
| 13 | Motorcycle Suspension | 0.3% | 2 |
| 14 | Motorcycle Wheels | 0.3% | 2 |
| 15 | Motorcycle Audible Warning (Horn) | 0.1% | 1 |
Failures per 10,000 Miles
avg. 24,364 miFor 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.
View as table
| Category | Rate / 10K mi | Raw % | Count |
|---|---|---|---|
| Motorcycle lighting and signalling | 3.43 | 8.4% | 58 |
| Motorcycle brakes | 2.31 | 5.6% | 39 |
| Motorcycle fuel and exhaust | 1.42 | 3.5% | 24 |
| Motorcycle tyres and wheels | 1.36 | 3.3% | 23 |
| Motorcycle lamps and reflectors | 1.24 | 3.0% | 21 |
| Motorcycle reg plates and vin | 1.01 | 2.4% | 17 |
| Motorcycle steering and suspension | 0.59 | 1.4% | 10 |
| Motorcycle tyres | 0.35 | 0.9% | 6 |
| Motorcycle drive system | 0.18 | 0.4% | 3 |
| Identification of the vehicle | 0.18 | 0.4% | 3 |
| Motorcycle structure and attachments | 0.18 | 0.4% | 3 |
| Motorcycle steering | 0.12 | 0.3% | 2 |
| Motorcycle suspension | 0.12 | 0.3% | 2 |
| Motorcycle wheels | 0.12 | 0.3% | 2 |
| Motorcycle audible warning (Horn) | 0.06 | 0.1% | 1 |
🚗 Similar Cars to Consider
Mileage at MOT
The average Harley-davidson Soft Tail has 24,364 miles when tested for MOT.
📊 Mileage-Adjusted Failure Rate
How often this car fails MOT relative to how much it's driven — a fairer comparison than raw pass rate.
The Harley-davidson Soft Tail has a mileage-adjusted failure rate of 5.54% per 10,000 miles driven. The average across all makes is 5.38%, so this model is worse than average.
About Harley-davidson Soft Tail MOT Data
The Harley-davidson Soft Tail is a rare vehicle in the UK, with 694 MOT test results recorded in our database spanning 11 manufacture years. It has an overall MOT pass rate of 86.5% and a failure rate of 13.5%, which is well above the UK average of approximately 37%.
For Harley-davidson Soft Tail owners, these results suggest a reliable vehicle that generally passes its MOT without major issues. Focus your pre-MOT checks on motorcycle lighting and signalling and motorcycle brakes for the best chance of a first-time pass. Use our detailed year-by-year breakdown and failure analysis below to understand how your specific Soft Tail is likely to perform.
Motorcycle lighting and signalling — 7.6% of failures
Motorcycle lighting and signalling issues account for 7.6% of MOT failures on the Harley-davidson Soft Tail. Motorcycle lighting and signalling 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.
Motorcycle brakes — 5.2% of failures
Motorcycle brakes issues account for 5.2% of MOT failures on the Harley-davidson Soft Tail. Brake-related failures include worn brake pads, corroded brake discs, leaking brake lines, and faulty brake servos. These are safety-critical components — any brake deficiency will result in an MOT fail. Typical repair costs: £150–400. Pre-MOT check: Listen for squealing or grinding noises. Check brake pedal feel — if it feels spongy or goes to the floor, have the system inspected immediately. Look at brake pad thickness through the wheel spokes (minimum 3mm).
Motorcycle fuel and exhaust — 3.5% of failures
Motorcycle fuel and exhaust issues account for 3.5% of MOT failures on the Harley-davidson Soft Tail. Motorcycle fuel and exhaust 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.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the MOT pass rate for the Harley-davidson Soft Tail?
Based on 694 MOT tests in our database, the Harley-davidson Soft Tail has an overall pass rate of 86.5% (13.5% fail rate).
What are the most common MOT failures on a Harley-davidson Soft Tail?
The top 3 reasons a Harley-davidson Soft Tail fails its MOT are: 1. Motorcycle lighting and signalling (7.6%), 2. Motorcycle brakes (5.2%), 3. Motorcycle fuel and exhaust (3.5%). Check these areas before booking your MOT.
Is the Harley-davidson Soft Tail reliable?
With a 13.5% MOT failure rate, the Soft Tail is more reliable than average compared to the UK average of ~40%.
What should I check before an MOT on my Harley-davidson Soft Tail?
Based on failure data, focus on: Motorcycle lighting and signalling (7.6%); Motorcycle brakes (5.2%); Motorcycle fuel and exhaust (3.5%). These are the areas most likely to cause a fail. Also check all lights, tyres (minimum 1.6mm tread), and windscreen condition — these are quick wins that apply to all cars.
Based on DVSA anonymised MOT test data (2005–2024). Crown copyright, Open Government Licence v3.0.