Harley-Davidson Sportster 883
Real ownership data from 17,338 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Steering and head bearings | fail | 11.2% |
| Fluid leaks | dangerous | 10.2% |
| Chain and sprockets | dangerous | 7.4% |
| Lights and indicators | dangerous | 6.6% |
| Frame and structure | major | 5.2% |
| Exhaust and emissions | dangerous | 2.2% |
| Other | major | 2% |
| Brakes | major | 1.6% |
Advisories (wear noted but not failed) are excluded above; the most common is fork seals.
Sportster 883 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 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 106 | 3,842 mi | 529 | 93% |
| 2020 | 224 | 4,379 mi | 499 | 91.54% |
| 2019 | 405 | 5,026 mi | 589 | 89.98% |
| 2018 | 577 | 6,281 mi | 554 | 89.93% |
| 2017 | 824 | 6,573 mi | 608 | 89.66% |
| 2016 | 934 | 7,598 mi | 594 | 88.8% |
| 2015 | 818 | 8,216 mi | 606 | 87.93% |
| 2014 | 608 | 9,053 mi | 684 | 86.53% |
| 2013 | 254 | 8,572 mi | 560 | 88.36% |
| 2012 | 424 | 8,791 mi | 608 | 88% |
| 2011 | 650 | 9,740 mi | 645 | 88.71% |
| 2010 | 758 | 9,958 mi | 672 | 88.59% |
| 2009 | 888 | 10,290 mi | 639 | 87.56% |
| 2008 | 744 | 10,984 mi | 600 | 88.61% |
| 2007 | 834 | 11,554 mi | 639 | 87.72% |
| 2006 | 1,110 | 11,224 mi | 648 | 88.37% |
| 2005 | 1,252 | 11,588 mi | 632 | 88.6% |
| 2004 | 617 | 12,398 mi | 649 | 88.06% |
| 2003 | 895 | 10,465 mi | 524 | 88.85% |
| 2002 | 811 | 10,970 mi | 529 | 88.77% |
Sportster 883 questions, answered with data
What are the most common problems with the Harley-Davidson Sportster 883?
Across 17,338 UK examples, the most frequently recorded MOT faults are steering and head bearings (11.2% of all recorded faults), fluid leaks (10.2% of all recorded faults), chain and sprockets (7.4% 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 9,944 miles, and typically rides about 576 miles a year. Half of all examples fall between 5,004 and 17,360 miles.
Is the Harley-Davidson Sportster 883 reliable?
87.8% of Harley-Davidson Sportster 883 MOT tests are passed first time, with an average of 0 faults recorded per test. This is measured from DVSA MOT records, not owner opinion.
Based on DVSA MOT test records for 17,338 Harley-Davidson Sportster 883 motorcycles registered in Great Britain and Northern Ireland. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.