Harley-Davidson Fat Boy
Real ownership data from 4,244 UK Fat Boy motorcycles — mileage, MOT pass rates and the faults that actually come up, taken from DVSA test records rather than opinion.
Most common Fat Boy problems
Ranked by how often each fault appears in this model's MOT history.
| Fault | Severity | Share of faults |
|---|---|---|
| Exhaust and emissions | major | 23.5% |
| Wheels | major | 7.1% |
| Lights and indicators | major | 6.5% |
| Brakes | major | 5.6% |
| Suspension | dangerous | 4% |
| Electrical | fail | 3.7% |
| Fluid leaks | major | 3.7% |
| Brake discs and pads | user entered | 3.1% |
Advisories (wear noted but not failed) are excluded above; the most common is controls and cables.
Fat Boy 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 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 77 | — | — | — |
| 2025 | 123 | — | — | — |
| 2024 | 177 | — | — | — |
| 2023 | 152 | 3,587 mi | 1,322 | 91.95% |
| 2022 | 172 | 3,758 mi | 710 | 93.73% |
| 2021 | 196 | 4,128 mi | 529 | 91.55% |
| 2020 | 248 | 4,852 mi | 634 | 90.81% |
| 2019 | 317 | 6,387 mi | 774 | 91.35% |
| 2018 | 359 | 8,058 mi | 920 | 91.65% |
| 2017 | 150 | 7,742 mi | 782 | 91.35% |
| 2016 | 70 | 11,538 mi | 1,208 | 92.5% |
| 2015 | 20 | 11,762 mi | 617 | 83.33% |
| 2014 | 62 | 10,358 mi | 803 | 91.64% |
| 2013 | 148 | 10,229 mi | 742 | 89.52% |
| 2012 | 139 | 11,694 mi | 985 | 90.96% |
| 2011 | 208 | 14,645 mi | 939 | 88.37% |
| 2010 | 184 | 15,044 mi | 966 | 89.5% |
| 2009 | 194 | 12,103 mi | 711 | 89.71% |
| 2008 | 186 | 12,480 mi | 527 | 89.8% |
| 2007 | 188 | 13,206 mi | 736 | 91.82% |
Fat Boy questions, answered with data
What are the most common problems with the Harley-Davidson Fat Boy?
Across 4,244 UK examples, the most frequently recorded MOT faults are exhaust and emissions (23.5% of all recorded faults), wheels (7.1% of all recorded faults), lights and indicators (6.5% of all recorded faults).
What is average mileage for a Harley-Davidson Fat Boy?
The median Harley-Davidson Fat Boy in the UK has covered 8,799 miles, and typically rides about 717 miles a year. Half of all examples fall between 4,234 and 16,770 miles.
Is the Harley-Davidson Fat Boy reliable?
89.9% of Harley-Davidson Fat Boy MOT tests are passed first time, with an average of 0.02 faults recorded per test. This is measured from DVSA MOT records, not owner opinion.
Based on DVSA MOT test records for 4,244 Harley-Davidson Fat Boy motorcycles registered in Great Britain and Northern Ireland. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.