Harley-Davidson Nightster
Real ownership data from 404 UK Nightster motorcycles — mileage, MOT pass rates and the faults that actually come up, taken from DVSA test records rather than opinion.
Most common Nightster problems
Ranked by how often each fault appears in this model's MOT history.
| Fault | Severity | Share of faults |
|---|---|---|
| Lights and indicators | major | 13.6% |
| Other | major | 10.8% |
| Exhaust and emissions | major | 5.1% |
| Brakes | dangerous | 4.6% |
| Tyres | fail | 2.3% |
| Suspension | fail | 0.6% |
Advisories (wear noted but not failed) are excluded above; the most common is exhaust and emissions.
Nightster mileage and reliability by year
Use this to judge whether a specific bike is high or low mileage for its age.
| Year | Examples | Median mileage | Miles/year | First-time pass |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 35 | — | — | — |
| 2025 | 50 | — | — | — |
| 2024 | 86 | 880 mi | — | 100% |
| 2023 | 124 | 2,048 mi | — | 91.67% |
| 2022 | 83 | 2,728 mi | 1,090 | 95.19% |
| 2009 | 7 | 8,852 mi | 386 | 87.5% |
| 2008 | 10 | 12,048 mi | 910 | 87.23% |
Nightster questions, answered with data
What are the most common problems with the Harley-Davidson Nightster?
Across 404 UK examples, the most frequently recorded MOT faults are lights and indicators (13.6% of all recorded faults), other (10.8% of all recorded faults), exhaust and emissions (5.1% of all recorded faults).
What is average mileage for a Harley-Davidson Nightster?
The median Harley-Davidson Nightster in the UK has covered 2,984 miles, and typically rides about 920 miles a year. Half of all examples fall between 1,618 and 6,171 miles.
Is the Harley-Davidson Nightster reliable?
90.6% of Harley-Davidson Nightster MOT tests are passed first time, with an average of 0.42 faults recorded per test. This is measured from DVSA MOT records, not owner opinion.
Based on DVSA MOT test records for 404 Harley-Davidson Nightster motorcycles registered in Great Britain and Northern Ireland. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.