1996 Harley Davidson Sportster — MOT History by Age

How cars manufactured in 1996 perform at MOT as they age

30 years

Current Age

90.6%

Latest Pass Rate

447

Total Tests (All Years)

13,112 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 1996 Harley Davidson Sportster as it ages.

13 yrs89.4%

→ ↓2.7%

14 yrs86.7%

→ ↑4.0%

15 yrs90.7%

→ ↓5.0%

16 yrs85.7%

→ ↓1.6%

17 yrs84.1%

→ ↑4.0%

18 yrs88.1%

→ ↓4.4%

19 yrs83.7%

→ ↑0.9%

20 yrs84.6%

→ ↓0.0%

21 yrs84.6%

→ ↓4.0%

27 yrs80.6%

→ ↑10.0%

28 yrs90.6%

📊 View as table

Age	Pass Rate	Tests
13 yrs	89.4%	47
14 yrs	86.7%	45
15 yrs	90.7%	43
16 yrs	85.7%	42
17 yrs	84.1%	44
18 yrs	88.1%	42
19 yrs	83.7%	43
20 yrs	84.6%	39
21 yrs	84.6%	39
27 yrs	80.6%	31
28 yrs	90.6%	32

Pass Rate Trend

How the 1996 Harley Davidson Sportster pass rate changes as it ages, from first MOT to most recent.

📊 View as table

Built	Pass Rate	Tests
2024 (28 yrs)	90.6%	32
2023 (27 yrs)	80.6%	31
2017 (21 yrs)	84.6%	39
2016 (20 yrs)	84.6%	39
2015 (19 yrs)	83.7%	43
2014 (18 yrs)	88.1%	42
2013 (17 yrs)	84.1%	44
2012 (16 yrs)	85.7%	42
2011 (15 yrs)	90.7%	43
2010 (14 yrs)	86.7%	45
2009 (13 yrs)	89.4%	47

Year-by-Year MOT Results

2009

89.4%

Age (yrs) 13Tests 47Avg Mileage 12,528Top Failure Motorcycle lighting and signalling — 6.4%

2010

86.7%

Age (yrs) 14Tests 45Avg Mileage 13,699Top Failure Motorcycle lighting and signalling — 11.1%

2011

90.7%

Age (yrs) 15Tests 43Avg Mileage 18,252Top Failure Motorcycle lighting and signalling — 4.7%

2012

85.7%

Age (yrs) 16Tests 42Avg Mileage 16,030Top Failure Motorcycle fuel and exhaust — 7.1%

2013

84.1%

Age (yrs) 17Tests 44Avg Mileage 14,603Top Failure Motorcycle lighting and signalling — 11.4%

2014

88.1%

Age (yrs) 18Tests 42Avg Mileage 14,481Top Failure Motorcycle tyres and wheels — 7.1%

2015

83.7%

Age (yrs) 19Tests 43Avg Mileage 17,058Top Failure Motorcycle lighting and signalling — 14.0%

2016

84.6%

Age (yrs) 20Tests 39Avg Mileage 15,914Top Failure Motorcycle lighting and signalling — 17.9%

2017

84.6%

Age (yrs) 21Tests 39Avg Mileage 14,781Top Failure Motorcycle steering and suspension — 7.7%

2023

80.6%

Age (yrs) 27Tests 31Avg Mileage 14,133Top Failure Motorcycle lamps and reflectors — 9.7%

2024

90.6%

Age (yrs) 28Tests 32Avg Mileage 13,112Top Failure Motorcycle brakes — 12.5%

MOT results for 1996 Harley Davidson Sportster by test year
Test Year▲	Age (yrs)▲▼	Pass Rate▲▼	Tests▲▼	Avg Mileage▲▼	Top Failure▲▼
2009	13	89.4%	47	12,528	Motorcycle lighting and signalling — 6.4%
2010	14	86.7%	45	13,699	Motorcycle lighting and signalling — 11.1%
2011	15	90.7%	43	18,252	Motorcycle lighting and signalling — 4.7%
2012	16	85.7%	42	16,030	Motorcycle fuel and exhaust — 7.1%
2013	17	84.1%	44	14,603	Motorcycle lighting and signalling — 11.4%
2014	18	88.1%	42	14,481	Motorcycle tyres and wheels — 7.1%
2015	19	83.7%	43	17,058	Motorcycle lighting and signalling — 14.0%
2016	20	84.6%	39	15,914	Motorcycle lighting and signalling — 17.9%
2017	21	84.6%	39	14,781	Motorcycle steering and suspension — 7.7%
2023	27	80.6%	31	14,133	Motorcycle lamps and reflectors — 9.7%
2024	28	90.6%	32	13,112	Motorcycle brakes — 12.5%

Common MOT Failures

Top failure categories across all test years for 1996 Harley Davidson Sportster, with age trends.

Motorcycle lamps and reflectors

11.1%

— Consistent

Motorcycle lighting and signalling

9.2%

— Consistent

Identification of the vehicle

6.4%

— Consistent

Motorcycle steering

6.3%

— Consistent

Motorcycle tyres and wheels

5.7%

— Consistent

How Failures Change With Age

Comparing failure rates between the youngest and oldest test years.

Category	At Youngest	At Oldest	Change	Trend
Motorcycle brakes	2.1% (13 yrs)	12.5% (28 yrs)	+10.4%	🔴 ↑

Other Manufacture Years

1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 2005 2006 2008 2021

← Back to Harley Davidson Sportster overview

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 1996 perform at MOT as they age. Data spans from 2009 to 2024, covering 447 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.