Harley-Davidson Softail
Real ownership data from 14,109 UK Softail motorcycles — mileage, MOT pass rates and the faults that actually come up, taken from DVSA test records rather than opinion.
Most common Softail problems
Ranked by how often each fault appears in this model's MOT history.
| Fault | Severity | Share of faults |
|---|---|---|
| Other | major | 3.4% |
| Brakes | dangerous | 0.7% |
| Exhaust and emissions | major | 0.6% |
| Brake discs and pads | major | 0.5% |
| Tyres | prs | 0.3% |
| Controls and cables | dangerous | 0.2% |
| Suspension | user entered | 0.2% |
| Steering and head bearings | dangerous | 0.1% |
Advisories (wear noted but not failed) are excluded above; the most common is controls and cables.
Softail 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 7 | 703 mi | — | 100% |
| 2023 | 37 | 4,804 mi | 261 | 100% |
| 2022 | 89 | 4,149 mi | 878 | 90.08% |
| 2021 | 88 | 5,306 mi | 822 | 93.91% |
| 2020 | 39 | 6,364 mi | 1,020 | 92.98% |
| 2019 | 6 | 7,643 mi | 1,366 | 91.3% |
| 2018 | 9 | 5,520 mi | 374 | 95.83% |
| 2017 | 19 | 10,224 mi | 914 | 91.26% |
| 2016 | 208 | 10,610 mi | 794 | 91.03% |
| 2015 | 223 | 10,787 mi | 819 | 90.37% |
| 2014 | 217 | 11,672 mi | 813 | 91.51% |
| 2013 | 54 | 10,853 mi | 784 | 90.06% |
| 2012 | 87 | 10,802 mi | 802 | 89.57% |
| 2011 | 155 | 14,488 mi | 944 | 89.3% |
| 2010 | 258 | 12,211 mi | 707 | 89.33% |
| 2009 | 625 | 14,208 mi | 808 | 88.92% |
| 2008 | 783 | 14,232 mi | 817 | 88.16% |
| 2007 | 975 | 14,461 mi | 821 | 88.47% |
| 2006 | 1,091 | 14,832 mi | 770 | 89.5% |
| 2005 | 1,175 | 14,410 mi | 738 | 88.77% |
Softail questions, answered with data
What are the most common problems with the Harley-Davidson Softail?
Across 14,109 UK examples, the most frequently recorded MOT faults are other (3.4% of all recorded faults), brakes (0.7% of all recorded faults), exhaust and emissions (0.6% of all recorded faults).
What is average mileage for a Harley-Davidson Softail?
The median Harley-Davidson Softail in the UK has covered 15,230 miles, and typically rides about 706 miles a year. Half of all examples fall between 7,700 and 26,176 miles.
Is the Harley-Davidson Softail reliable?
89.03% of Harley-Davidson Softail MOT tests are passed first time, with an average of 0.6 faults recorded per test. This is measured from DVSA MOT records, not owner opinion.
Based on DVSA MOT test records for 14,109 Harley-Davidson Softail motorcycles registered in Great Britain and Northern Ireland. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.