1981 Harley-davidson Unclassified — MOT History by Age

How cars manufactured in 1981 perform at MOT as they age

45 years

Current Age

90.9%

Latest Pass Rate

282

Total Tests (All Years)

12,275 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 1981 Harley-davidson Unclassified as it ages.

28 yrs73.2%

→ ↑6.2%

29 yrs79.4%

→ ↑14.9%

30 yrs94.3%

→ ↓11.9%

31 yrs82.4%

→ ↓5.9%

32 yrs76.5%

→ ↓8.8%

33 yrs67.7%

→ ↑29.8%

35 yrs97.5%

→ ↓6.6%

36 yrs90.9%

📊 View as table

Age	Pass Rate	Tests
28 yrs	73.2%	41
29 yrs	79.4%	34
30 yrs	94.3%	35
31 yrs	82.4%	34
32 yrs	76.5%	34
33 yrs	67.7%	31
35 yrs	97.5%	40
36 yrs	90.9%	33

Pass Rate Trend

How the 1981 Harley-davidson Unclassified pass rate changes as it ages, from first MOT to most recent.

📊 View as table

Built	Pass Rate	Tests
2017 (36 yrs)	90.9%	33
2016 (35 yrs)	97.5%	40
2014 (33 yrs)	67.7%	31
2013 (32 yrs)	76.5%	34
2012 (31 yrs)	82.4%	34
2011 (30 yrs)	94.3%	35
2010 (29 yrs)	79.4%	34
2009 (28 yrs)	73.2%	41

Year-by-Year MOT Results

2009

73.2%

Age (yrs) 28Tests 41Avg Mileage 16,833Top Failure Motorcycle lighting and signalling — 14.6%

2010

79.4%

Age (yrs) 29Tests 34Avg Mileage 14,498Top Failure Motorcycle lighting and signalling — 8.8%

2011

94.3%

Age (yrs) 30Tests 35Avg Mileage 11,027Top Failure Motorcycle lighting and signalling — 2.9%

2012

82.4%

Age (yrs) 31Tests 34Avg Mileage 10,230Top Failure Motorcycle lighting and signalling — 11.8%

2013

76.5%

Age (yrs) 32Tests 34Avg Mileage 10,832Top Failure Motorcycle steering and suspension — 11.8%

2014

67.7%

Age (yrs) 33Tests 31Avg Mileage 24,336Top Failure Motorcycle steering and suspension — 19.4%

2016

97.5%

Age (yrs) 35Tests 40Avg Mileage 16,536Top Failure Motorcycle drive system — 2.5%

2017

90.9%

Age (yrs) 36Tests 33Avg Mileage 12,275Top Failure Motorcycle lighting and signalling — 6.1%

MOT results for 1981 Harley-davidson Unclassified by test year
Test Year▲	Age (yrs)▲▼	Pass Rate▲▼	Tests▲▼	Avg Mileage▲▼	Top Failure▲▼
2009	28	73.2%	41	16,833	Motorcycle lighting and signalling — 14.6%
2010	29	79.4%	34	14,498	Motorcycle lighting and signalling — 8.8%
2011	30	94.3%	35	11,027	Motorcycle lighting and signalling — 2.9%
2012	31	82.4%	34	10,230	Motorcycle lighting and signalling — 11.8%
2013	32	76.5%	34	10,832	Motorcycle steering and suspension — 11.8%
2014	33	67.7%	31	24,336	Motorcycle steering and suspension — 19.4%
2016	35	97.5%	40	16,536	Motorcycle drive system — 2.5%
2017	36	90.9%	33	12,275	Motorcycle lighting and signalling — 6.1%

Common MOT Failures

Top failure categories across all test years for 1981 Harley-davidson Unclassified, with age trends.

Motorcycle lighting and signalling

10.0%

↓ Decreases with age

Motorcycle drive system

8.1%

↓ Decreases with age

Motorcycle steering and suspension

8.0%

↓ Decreases with age

Motorcycle brakes

7.4%

↓ Decreases with age

Motorcycle reg plates and vin

6.9%

↓ Decreases with age

How Failures Change With Age

Comparing failure rates between the youngest and oldest test years.

Category	At Youngest	At Oldest	Change	Trend
Motorcycle steering and suspension	12.2% (28 yrs)	3.0% (36 yrs)	-9.2%	🟢 ↓
Motorcycle lighting and signalling	14.6% (28 yrs)	6.1% (36 yrs)	-8.5%	🟢 ↓
Motorcycle reg plates and vin	9.8% (28 yrs)	3.0% (36 yrs)	-6.8%	🟢 ↓
Motorcycle brakes	7.3% (28 yrs)	3.0% (36 yrs)	-4.3%	🟢 ↓
Motorcycle fuel and exhaust	7.3% (28 yrs)	3.0% (36 yrs)	-4.3%	🟢 ↓

Other Manufacture Years

Looking for the best year to buy? See the full comparison on the Harley-davidson Unclassified page →

About This Data

This page shows how Harley-davidson Unclassified cars manufactured in 1981 perform at MOT as they age. Data spans from 2009 to 2017, covering 282 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.