Harley-Davidson Sportster 883
Real ownership data from 17,310 UK Sportster 883 motorcycles — mileage, MOT pass rates and the faults that actually come up, taken from DVSA test records rather than opinion.
Most common Sportster 883 problems
Ranked by how often each fault appears in this model's MOT history.
| Fault | Severity | Share of faults |
|---|---|---|
| Tyres | major | 1.2% |
| Steering and head bearings | major | 1% |
| Lights and indicators | dangerous | 0.7% |
| Brake discs and pads | dangerous | 0.7% |
| Brakes | dangerous | 0.7% |
| Exhaust and emissions | prs | 0.7% |
| Controls and cables | dangerous | 0.5% |
| Electrical | major | 0.5% |
Advisories (wear noted but not failed) are excluded above; the most common is corrosion.
Sportster 883 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 106 | 3,865 mi | 539 | 92.77% |
| 2020 | 222 | 4,280 mi | 529 | 91.78% |
| 2019 | 405 | 4,865 mi | 590 | 90.04% |
| 2018 | 575 | 6,198 mi | 562 | 90.01% |
| 2017 | 823 | 6,552 mi | 608 | 89.72% |
| 2016 | 932 | 7,589 mi | 596 | 88.81% |
| 2015 | 813 | 8,224 mi | 610 | 87.96% |
| 2014 | 608 | 8,952 mi | 684 | 86.55% |
| 2013 | 254 | 8,523 mi | 564 | 88.35% |
| 2012 | 423 | 8,722 mi | 612 | 88.11% |
| 2011 | 650 | 9,740 mi | 648 | 88.76% |
| 2010 | 758 | 9,944 mi | 672 | 88.59% |
| 2009 | 886 | 10,187 mi | 640 | 87.57% |
| 2008 | 741 | 10,969 mi | 601 | 88.58% |
| 2007 | 833 | 11,588 mi | 640 | 87.67% |
| 2006 | 1,108 | 11,176 mi | 648 | 88.43% |
| 2005 | 1,250 | 11,506 mi | 632 | 88.55% |
| 2004 | 616 | 12,397 mi | 649 | 88.07% |
| 2003 | 894 | 10,404 mi | 524 | 88.89% |
| 2002 | 810 | 10,923 mi | 529 | 88.8% |
Sportster 883 questions, answered with data
What are the most common problems with the Harley-Davidson Sportster 883?
Across 17,310 UK examples, the most frequently recorded MOT faults are tyres (1.2% of all recorded faults), steering and head bearings (1% of all recorded faults), lights and indicators (0.7% of all recorded faults).
What is average mileage for a Harley-Davidson Sportster 883?
The median Harley-Davidson Sportster 883 in the UK has covered 9,912 miles, and typically rides about 579 miles a year. Half of all examples fall between 4,983 and 17,339 miles.
Is the Harley-Davidson Sportster 883 reliable?
87.81% of Harley-Davidson Sportster 883 MOT tests are passed first time, with an average of 0.61 faults recorded per test. This is measured from DVSA MOT records, not owner opinion.
Based on DVSA MOT test records for 17,310 Harley-Davidson Sportster 883 motorcycles registered in Great Britain and Northern Ireland. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.