Harley-Davidson Softail Deluxe
Real ownership data from 1,247 UK Softail Deluxe motorcycles — mileage, MOT pass rates and the faults that actually come up, taken from DVSA test records rather than opinion.
Most common Softail Deluxe problems
Ranked by how often each fault appears in this model's MOT history.
| Fault | Severity | Share of faults |
|---|---|---|
| Brake discs and pads | dangerous | 16.6% |
| Other | fail | 9.3% |
| Tyres | dangerous | 8.1% |
| Exhaust and emissions | fail | 6.6% |
| Controls and cables | major | 6.6% |
| Electrical | major | 5.4% |
| Suspension | dangerous | 3.9% |
| Wheels | fail | 3.3% |
Advisories (wear noted but not failed) are excluded above; the most common is exhaust and emissions.
Softail Deluxe 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 48 | 5,443 mi | 917 | 92.11% |
| 2019 | 67 | 6,794 mi | 986 | 92.37% |
| 2018 | 82 | 9,423 mi | 1,050 | 97.72% |
| 2017 | 50 | 9,528 mi | 841 | 91.86% |
| 2016 | 36 | 7,988 mi | 770 | 92.23% |
| 2015 | 69 | 11,394 mi | 919 | 92.27% |
| 2014 | 49 | 13,456 mi | 1,003 | 93.19% |
| 2013 | 56 | 13,803 mi | 1,096 | 91.85% |
| 2012 | 64 | 13,514 mi | 878 | 92.18% |
| 2011 | 101 | 15,144 mi | 994 | 88.94% |
| 2010 | 35 | 14,692 mi | 952 | 86.7% |
| 2009 | 15 | 10,764 mi | 801 | 82.69% |
| 2008 | 72 | 14,499 mi | 1,050 | 91.82% |
| 2007 | 129 | 12,657 mi | 640 | 88.82% |
| 2006 | 105 | 13,088 mi | 683 | 88.31% |
| 2005 | 114 | 13,888 mi | 722 | 88.18% |
| 2004 | 17 | 11,331 mi | 422 | 88.83% |
| 2002 | 5 | 10,038 mi | 433 | 98.15% |
| 1996 | 35 | 20,811 mi | 352 | 90.57% |
| 1995 | 38 | 17,070 mi | 294 | 91.02% |
Softail Deluxe questions, answered with data
What are the most common problems with the Harley-Davidson Softail Deluxe?
Across 1,247 UK examples, the most frequently recorded MOT faults are brake discs and pads (16.6% of all recorded faults), other (9.3% of all recorded faults), tyres (8.1% of all recorded faults).
What is average mileage for a Harley-Davidson Softail Deluxe?
The median Harley-Davidson Softail Deluxe in the UK has covered 11,836 miles, and typically rides about 794 miles a year. Half of all examples fall between 5,602 and 20,548 miles.
Is the Harley-Davidson Softail Deluxe reliable?
90.43% of Harley-Davidson Softail Deluxe MOT tests are passed first time, with an average of 0.04 faults recorded per test. This is measured from DVSA MOT records, not owner opinion.
Based on DVSA MOT test records for 1,247 Harley-Davidson Softail Deluxe motorcycles registered in Great Britain and Northern Ireland. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.