Harley-Davidson Fat Boy
Real ownership data from 4,214 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 | 19.8% |
| Brakes | fail | 6.5% |
| Wheels | major | 6% |
| Lights and indicators | fail | 5.7% |
| Steering and head bearings | dangerous | 5.5% |
| Suspension | dangerous | 3.4% |
| Electrical | fail | 3.1% |
| Fluid leaks | major | 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 | 72 | — | — | — |
| 2025 | 122 | — | — | — |
| 2024 | 174 | — | — | — |
| 2023 | 151 | 3,590 mi | 1,398 | 90.91% |
| 2022 | 170 | 3,695 mi | 680 | 93.68% |
| 2021 | 193 | 4,057 mi | 508 | 91.26% |
| 2020 | 246 | 4,866 mi | 630 | 90.57% |
| 2019 | 316 | 6,334 mi | 745 | 91.29% |
| 2018 | 355 | 8,035 mi | 927 | 91.67% |
| 2017 | 149 | 7,696 mi | 773 | 91.11% |
| 2016 | 69 | 12,862 mi | 1,208 | 92.26% |
| 2015 | 20 | 11,762 mi | 617 | 82.86% |
| 2014 | 61 | 10,473 mi | 812 | 91.4% |
| 2013 | 146 | 10,229 mi | 754 | 89.6% |
| 2012 | 139 | 12,070 mi | 985 | 91.01% |
| 2011 | 208 | 14,645 mi | 939 | 88.47% |
| 2010 | 184 | 14,484 mi | 966 | 89.54% |
| 2009 | 194 | 12,103 mi | 708 | 89.76% |
| 2008 | 186 | 12,480 mi | 510 | 89.9% |
| 2007 | 188 | 13,206 mi | 736 | 91.76% |
Fat Boy questions, answered with data
What are the most common problems with the Harley-Davidson Fat Boy?
Across 4,214 UK examples, the most frequently recorded MOT faults are exhaust and emissions (19.8% of all recorded faults), brakes (6.5% of all recorded faults), wheels (6% 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 8,826 miles, and typically rides about 714 miles a year. Half of all examples fall between 4,265 and 16,744 miles.
Is the Harley-Davidson Fat Boy reliable?
89.88% 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 4,214 Harley-Davidson Fat Boy motorcycles registered in Great Britain and Northern Ireland. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.