Harley-Davidson Road King
Real ownership data from 4,604 UK Road King motorcycles — mileage, MOT pass rates and the faults that actually come up, taken from DVSA test records rather than opinion.
Most common Road King problems
Ranked by how often each fault appears in this model's MOT history.
| Fault | Severity | Share of faults |
|---|---|---|
| Other | dangerous | 25.6% |
| Exhaust and emissions | major | 13.8% |
| Fluid leaks | fail | 7% |
| Electrical | fail | 5.5% |
| Lights and indicators | dangerous | 5.3% |
| Brakes | major | 3.8% |
| Suspension | major | 3.8% |
| Controls and cables | dangerous | 2.6% |
Advisories (wear noted but not failed) are excluded above; the most common is fluid leaks.
Road King 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 | 22 | — | — | — |
| 2025 | 32 | — | — | — |
| 2024 | 65 | — | — | — |
| 2023 | 79 | 5,991 mi | 3,594 | 96.23% |
| 2022 | 119 | 8,501 mi | 1,954 | 94.87% |
| 2021 | 127 | 9,432 mi | 1,744 | 94.15% |
| 2020 | 126 | 12,373 mi | 2,129 | 96.92% |
| 2019 | 151 | 14,372 mi | 1,830 | 95.44% |
| 2018 | 187 | 12,692 mi | 1,610 | 96.44% |
| 2017 | 225 | 16,882 mi | 1,795 | 93.34% |
| 2016 | 156 | 15,222 mi | 1,410 | 94.28% |
| 2015 | 109 | 17,940 mi | 1,315 | 95.79% |
| 2014 | 108 | 19,807 mi | 1,523 | 93.4% |
| 2013 | 104 | 17,457 mi | 1,378 | 93.11% |
| 2012 | 70 | 15,785 mi | 1,130 | 90.51% |
| 2011 | 105 | 21,650 mi | 1,318 | 89.06% |
| 2010 | 124 | 19,296 mi | 1,324 | 90.6% |
| 2009 | 236 | 20,974 mi | 1,398 | 91.46% |
| 2008 | 308 | 22,459 mi | 1,266 | 90.02% |
| 2007 | 262 | 21,678 mi | 1,213 | 90.27% |
Road King questions, answered with data
What are the most common problems with the Harley-Davidson Road King?
Across 4,604 UK examples, the most frequently recorded MOT faults are other (25.6% of all recorded faults), exhaust and emissions (13.8% of all recorded faults), fluid leaks (7% of all recorded faults).
What is average mileage for a Harley-Davidson Road King?
The median Harley-Davidson Road King in the UK has covered 18,984 miles, and typically rides about 1,232 miles a year. Half of all examples fall between 10,133 and 30,283 miles.
Is the Harley-Davidson Road King reliable?
91.24% of Harley-Davidson Road King 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 4,604 Harley-Davidson Road King motorcycles registered in Great Britain and Northern Ireland. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.