Harley-Davidson Road King
Real ownership data from 4,620 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 | 30.3% |
| Fluid leaks | fail | 8.7% |
| Lights and indicators | dangerous | 7% |
| Exhaust and emissions | user entered | 4.9% |
| Suspension | fail | 4.7% |
| Wheels | dangerous | 3.4% |
| Controls and cables | dangerous | 3.2% |
| Steering and head bearings | major | 2.1% |
Advisories (wear noted but not failed) are excluded above; the most common is exhaust and emissions.
Road King 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 | 23 | — | — | — |
| 2025 | 32 | — | — | — |
| 2024 | 64 | — | — | — |
| 2023 | 80 | 6,444 mi | 2,010 | 96.72% |
| 2022 | 122 | 8,564 mi | 1,926 | 94.79% |
| 2021 | 127 | 9,517 mi | 1,964 | 94.12% |
| 2020 | 127 | 12,661 mi | 2,220 | 97.01% |
| 2019 | 154 | 14,383 mi | 1,732 | 95.52% |
| 2018 | 188 | 12,716 mi | 1,590 | 96.52% |
| 2017 | 227 | 17,630 mi | 1,839 | 93.08% |
| 2016 | 157 | 15,362 mi | 1,424 | 94.27% |
| 2015 | 110 | 18,007 mi | 1,278 | 95.75% |
| 2014 | 109 | 20,406 mi | 1,524 | 93.38% |
| 2013 | 104 | 17,457 mi | 1,335 | 93.15% |
| 2012 | 71 | 15,785 mi | 1,130 | 90.54% |
| 2011 | 105 | 21,650 mi | 1,318 | 89.08% |
| 2010 | 124 | 19,296 mi | 1,324 | 90.65% |
| 2009 | 237 | 20,968 mi | 1,391 | 91.36% |
| 2008 | 308 | 22,459 mi | 1,266 | 89.99% |
| 2007 | 262 | 21,678 mi | 1,213 | 90.22% |
Road King questions, answered with data
What are the most common problems with the Harley-Davidson Road King?
Across 4,620 UK examples, the most frequently recorded MOT faults are other (30.3% of all recorded faults), fluid leaks (8.7% of all recorded faults), lights and indicators (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 19,002 miles, and typically rides about 1,234 miles a year. Half of all examples fall between 10,189 and 30,312 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 4,620 Harley-Davidson Road King motorcycles registered in Great Britain and Northern Ireland. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.