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1989 Harley Davidson Sportster — MOT History by Age

How cars manufactured in 1989 perform at MOT as they age

37 years
Current Age
68.6%
Latest Pass Rate
209
Total Tests (All Years)
15,513 mi
Avg Mileage (Latest)

Data from official DVSA MOT testing records

Insufficient data for same-age comparison.

How This Car Ages

Pass rate progression for the 1989 Harley Davidson Sportster as it ages.

20 yrs85.7%
21 yrs75.8%
22 yrs64.5%
25 yrs78.0%
26 yrs76.5%
27 yrs68.6%

Bar chart showing pass rate by car age from 20 to 27 years

Fail Rate %
📊 View as table
AgePass RateTests
20 yrs85.7%35
21 yrs75.8%33
22 yrs64.5%31
25 yrs78.0%41
26 yrs76.5%34
27 yrs68.6%35

Pass Rate Trend

How the 1989 Harley Davidson Sportster pass rate changes as it ages, from first MOT to most recent.

Trend shows declining over 6 years

Pass Rate %
📊 View as table
BuiltPass RateTests
2016 (27 yrs)68.6%35
2015 (26 yrs)76.5%34
2014 (25 yrs)78%41
2011 (22 yrs)64.5%31
2010 (21 yrs)75.8%33
2009 (20 yrs)85.7%35

Year-by-Year MOT Results

2009
85.7%
Age (yrs) 20Tests 35Avg Mileage 20,071Top Failure Motorcycle steering and suspension — 8.6%
2010
75.8%
Age (yrs) 21Tests 33Avg Mileage 18,188Top Failure Motorcycle lighting and signalling — 15.2%
2011High Fail Rate
64.5%
Age (yrs) 22Tests 31Avg Mileage 17,017Top Failure Motorcycle lighting and signalling — 29.0%
2014
78.0%
Age (yrs) 25Tests 41Avg Mileage 16,850Top Failure Motorcycle lighting and signalling — 22.0%
2015
76.5%
Age (yrs) 26Tests 34Avg Mileage 13,618Top Failure Motorcycle lighting and signalling — 23.5%
2016
68.6%
Age (yrs) 27Tests 35Avg Mileage 15,513Top Failure Motorcycle lighting and signalling — 45.7%

Common MOT Failures

Top failure categories across all test years for 1989 Harley Davidson Sportster, with age trends.

Motorcycle lighting and signalling
23.5%
↑ Increases with age
Motorcycle steering and suspension
13.0%
↑ Increases with age
Motorcycle brakes
10.9%
↑ Increases with age
Motorcycle fuel and exhaust
8.1%
↑ Increases with age
Motorcycle drive system
5.8%
↑ Increases with age

How Failures Change With Age

Comparing failure rates between the youngest and oldest test years.

CategoryAt YoungestAt OldestChangeTrend
Motorcycle lighting and signalling5.7% (20 yrs)45.7% (27 yrs)
+40.0%
🔴 ↑
Motorcycle brakes2.9% (20 yrs)17.1% (27 yrs)
+14.2%
🔴 ↑
Motorcycle steering and suspension8.6% (20 yrs)17.1% (27 yrs)
+8.5%
🔴 ↑

Other Manufacture Years

Looking for the best year to buy? See the full comparison on the Harley Davidson Sportster page →

About This Data

This page shows how Harley Davidson Sportster cars manufactured in 1989 perform at MOT as they age. Data spans from 2009 to 2016, covering 209 tests. Pass rates naturally decline with age as components wear.

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

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