Harley-Davidson 1200 MOT pass rate and common failures
Harley-Davidson 1200 motorcycles pass the MOT 89.54% of the time, measured across 497 tests in the DVSA record. A further 3.82% passed only after a defect was put right at the test station.
What to check before the MOT
Built from this model's own failure record, not general advice.
- Start with not working - it accounts for 39.4% of failed tests on this model.
- Then check does not conform to the specified requirements and missing, the next two most common reasons.
- Age matters here: 90.67% of 6-10 year old examples pass, against 82.43% at 16+ years - a gap of 8.2 points.
- The most common advisory is noise is clearly in excess of that emitted by a similar motorcycle fitted with a standard silencer in average condition (21.9% of all tests) - not a failure, but money you will spend sooner or later.
- Average recorded mileage at test is 12,401 miles, which is the number to compare any advert against.
Pass rate by age
A single pass rate hides the most useful thing in this data: how the same model behaves at three years old and at fifteen.
| Age at test | Pass rate | Tests | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6-10 years | 90.67% | 300 | |
| 11-15 years | 90.68% | 118 | |
| 16+ years | 82.43% | 74 |
Why the Harley-Davidson 1200 fails
Share of failed tests on this model where the item was recorded. One test can fail on several items, so the column does not add up to 100%.
| # | Item | Of failures | Tests | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Not working | 39.4% | 13 | |
| 2 | Does not conform to the specified requirements | 18.2% | 6 | |
| 3 | Missing | 18.2% | 6 | |
| 4 | Too high | 15.2% | 5 | |
| 5 | Too low | 15.2% | 5 | |
| 6 | Not working on dipped beam | 12.1% | 4 | |
| 7 | Remains on when the brakes are released | 12.1% | 4 | |
| 8 | Tread depth is below minimum requirements of 1.0mm | 12.1% | 4 | |
| 9 | Does not illuminate simultaneously with the position lamp(s) | 9.1% | 3 | |
| 10 | Obviously incorrectly positioned | 9.1% | 3 |
Most common advisories
Not a failure and not a legal requirement to fix - but an advisory that repeats year after year is money the next owner spends.
| # | Item | Of all tests | Tests | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Noise is clearly in excess of that emitted by a similar motorcycle fitted with a standard silencer in average condition | 21.9% | 109 | |
| 2 | Tread depth is below minimum requirements of 1.0mm | 6.4% | 32 | |
| 3 | Less than 1.0 mm thick | 2.4% | 12 | |
| 4 | Tread not clearly visible | 2% | 10 | |
| 5 | Indicates excessive fluctuation of brake effort | 1.4% | 7 | |
| 6 | Is bent and the brake cannot be readily applied | 0.8% | 4 | |
| 7 | Excessively binding | 0.6% | 3 | |
| 8 | Has a serious fluid leak | 0.4% | 2 | |
| 9 | Has excessive play | 0.4% | 2 | |
| 10 | Has negligible damping effect | 0.4% | 2 |
Harley-Davidson 1200 for sale
No Harley-Davidson 1200 in stock at the moment - 48 other Harley-Davidson bikes are advertised.
Similar bikes compared
Models of comparable capacity, so the comparison means something.
| Model | Tests | Pass rate | Avg mileage | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Triumph TIGER · 969cc | 16,144 | 91.27% | 22,934 | |
| Triumph BONNEVILLE 642-904cc · 642-904cc | 12,456 | 90.8% | 12,824 | |
| BMW R SERIES · 1,152cc | 9,796 | 91.92% | 40,594 | |
| BMW R1200 · 1,170cc | 9,521 | 94.43% | 28,830 | |
| BMW S 1000 · 999cc | 8,445 | 91.96% | 15,282 | |
| BMW R1250 · 1,254cc | 6,764 | 96.17% | 17,373 |
Source: DVSA MOT testing data, 2025 · updated Aug 2026 · licence and method