Harley Davidson Trike MOT Pass Rate
Overall pass rate across all manufacture years, based on 1,299 real MOT test results. Failure rate: 11.8%.
Data from official DVSA MOT testing records
Harley Davidson Trike MOT Reliability Overview
The Harley Davidson Trike is a niche vehicle in the UK, with 1,299 MOT test results recorded in our database spanning 15 manufacture years. It has an overall MOT pass rate of 88.2% and a failure rate of 11.8%, which is well above the UK average of approximately 37%.
Based on this data, the Harley Davidson Trike earns a "Excellent" reliability rating. The average Harley Davidson Trike presents for MOT with approximately 16,879 miles on the clock. Manufacture year matters: 1994 models achieve the highest pass rate at 96.0%, while 1996 models have the lowest at 82.5%. This 13.5 percentage point difference suggests notable variation in build quality or component durability across production years.
The most common MOT failure for the Harley Davidson Trike is Brakes, affecting 5.7% of all tests. 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. The second most common issue is Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment at 5.3%. Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment rounds out the top three at 4.5%. 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 | Lamps, Reflectors And Electrical Equipment | 10.8% | 141 |
| 2 | Brakes | 6.4% | 83 |
| 3 | Suspension | 4.1% | 53 |
| 4 | Tyres | 1.1% | 14 |
| 5 | Motor Tricycles And Quadricycles | 1.0% | 13 |
| 6 | Exhaust, Fuel And Emissions | 1.0% | 13 |
| 7 | Motorcycle Lighting And Signalling | 0.8% | 11 |
| 8 | Body, Chassis, Structure | 0.7% | 9 |
| 9 | Motorcycle Fuel And Exhaust | 0.6% | 8 |
| 10 | Registration Plates And Vin | 0.5% | 7 |
| 11 | Motorcycle Brakes | 0.5% | 6 |
| 12 | Motorcycle Tyres And Wheels | 0.4% | 5 |
| 13 | Steering | 0.3% | 4 |
| 14 | Identification Of The Vehicle | 0.3% | 4 |
Failures per 10,000 Miles
avg. 16,879 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lamps & Electrical | 6.43 | 10.8% | 141 |
| Brakes | 3.79 | 6.4% | 83 |
| Suspension | 2.42 | 4.1% | 53 |
| Tyres | 0.64 | 1.1% | 14 |
| Motor tricycles and quadricycles | 0.59 | 1.0% | 13 |
| Emissions & Exhaust | 0.59 | 1.0% | 13 |
| Motorcycle lighting and signalling | 0.50 | 0.8% | 11 |
| Body & Structure | 0.41 | 0.7% | 9 |
| Motorcycle fuel and exhaust | 0.36 | 0.6% | 8 |
| Registration Plates and VIN | 0.32 | 0.5% | 7 |
| Motorcycle brakes | 0.27 | 0.5% | 6 |
| Motorcycle tyres and wheels | 0.23 | 0.4% | 5 |
| Steering | 0.18 | 0.3% | 4 |
| Identification of the vehicle | 0.18 | 0.3% | 4 |
🚗 Similar Cars to Consider
Mileage at MOT
The average Harley Davidson Trike has 16,879 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 Trike has a mileage-adjusted failure rate of 6.99% per 10,000 miles driven. The average across all makes is 5.38%, so this model is worse than average.
About Harley Davidson Trike MOT Data
The Harley Davidson Trike is a niche vehicle in the UK, with 1,299 MOT test results recorded in our database spanning 15 manufacture years. It has an overall MOT pass rate of 88.2% and a failure rate of 11.8%, which is well above the UK average of approximately 37%.
For Harley Davidson Trike owners, these results suggest a reliable vehicle that generally passes its MOT without major issues. Focus your pre-MOT checks on brakes and lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment 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 Trike is likely to perform.
Brakes — 5.7% of failures
Brakes issues account for 5.7% of MOT failures on the Harley Davidson Trike. 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).
Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment — 5.3% of failures
Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment issues account for 5.3% of MOT failures on the Harley Davidson Trike. Lighting failures cover all external lights: headlights, tail lights, brake lights, indicators, fog lights, and reflectors. A single blown bulb will cause an MOT fail. This is one of the most preventable failure categories. Typical repair costs: £5–50. Pre-MOT check: Walk around the car and check every light — headlights (dipped and main beam), side lights, tail lights, brake lights, indicators, hazard lights, reverse light, rear fog light, and number plate lights. Replace any blown bulbs before the test.
Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment — 4.5% of failures
Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment issues account for 4.5% of MOT failures on the Harley Davidson Trike. Lighting failures cover all external lights: headlights, tail lights, brake lights, indicators, fog lights, and reflectors. A single blown bulb will cause an MOT fail. This is one of the most preventable failure categories. Typical repair costs: £5–50. Pre-MOT check: Walk around the car and check every light — headlights (dipped and main beam), side lights, tail lights, brake lights, indicators, hazard lights, reverse light, rear fog light, and number plate lights. Replace any blown bulbs before the test.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the MOT pass rate for the Harley Davidson Trike?
Based on 1,299 MOT tests in our database, the Harley Davidson Trike has an overall pass rate of 88.2% (11.8% fail rate).
What are the most common MOT failures on a Harley Davidson Trike?
The top 3 reasons a Harley Davidson Trike fails its MOT are: 1. Brakes (5.7%), 2. Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment (5.3%), 3. Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment (4.5%). Check these areas before booking your MOT.
Is the Harley Davidson Trike reliable?
With a 11.8% MOT failure rate, the Trike is more reliable than average compared to the UK average of ~40%.
What should I check before an MOT on my Harley Davidson Trike?
Based on failure data, focus on: Brakes (5.7%); Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment (5.3%); Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment (4.5%). 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.