Harley-Davidson Fat Bob
Real ownership data from 3,926 UK Fat Bob motorcycles — mileage, MOT pass rates and the faults that actually come up, taken from DVSA test records rather than opinion.
Most common Fat Bob problems
Ranked by how often each fault appears in this model's MOT history.
| Fault | Severity | Share of faults |
|---|---|---|
| Brake discs and pads | major | 9.2% |
| Lights and indicators | dangerous | 8.5% |
| Other | dangerous | 6.9% |
| Controls and cables | dangerous | 3.9% |
| Steering and head bearings | dangerous | 3.9% |
| Brakes | major | 3.1% |
| Fluid leaks | major | 3.1% |
| Electrical | major | 2.3% |
Advisories (wear noted but not failed) are excluded above; the most common is fuel system.
Fat Bob mileage and reliability by year
Use this to judge whether a specific bike is high or low mileage for its age.
| YearYear | MedianMedian mileage | Mi/yrMiles/year | MOT passFirst-time pass | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 20 | — | — | — |
| 2024 | 167 | — | — | — |
| 2023 | 141 | 3,202 mi | 903 | 93.42% |
| 2022 | 158 | 3,676 mi | 700 | 91.09% |
| 2021 | 213 | 5,872 mi | 834 | 92.1% |
| 2020 | 210 | 6,778 mi | 874 | 90.72% |
| 2019 | 448 | 8,135 mi | 978 | 90.86% |
| 2018 | 472 | 9,111 mi | 947 | 90.5% |
| 2017 | 242 | 10,173 mi | 986 | 90.62% |
| 2016 | 125 | 11,296 mi | 976 | 90.27% |
| 2015 | 219 | 13,329 mi | 1,072 | 87.19% |
| 2014 | 267 | 13,136 mi | 1,029 | 87.56% |
| 2013 | 237 | 13,282 mi | 990 | 89.34% |
| 2012 | 132 | 15,716 mi | 1,098 | 88.86% |
| 2011 | 219 | 13,809 mi | 869 | 87.72% |
| 2010 | 189 | 16,463 mi | 1,125 | 89.21% |
| 2009 | 161 | 15,503 mi | 934 | 87.07% |
| 2008 | 224 | 16,596 mi | 959 | 87.23% |
| 2007 | 78 | 15,069 mi | 841 | 88.35% |
Fat Bob questions, answered with data
What are the most common problems with the Harley-Davidson Fat Bob?
Across 3,926 UK examples, the most frequently recorded MOT faults are brake discs and pads (9.2% of all recorded faults), lights and indicators (8.5% of all recorded faults), other (6.9% of all recorded faults).
What is average mileage for a Harley-Davidson Fat Bob?
The median Harley-Davidson Fat Bob in the UK has covered 9,878 miles, and typically rides about 970 miles a year. Half of all examples fall between 5,317 and 16,463 miles.
Is the Harley-Davidson Fat Bob reliable?
89.16% of Harley-Davidson Fat Bob MOT tests are passed first time, with an average of 0.01 faults recorded per test. This is measured from DVSA MOT records, not owner opinion.
Based on DVSA MOT test records for 3,926 Harley-Davidson Fat Bob motorcycles registered in Great Britain and Northern Ireland. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.