Harley-Davidson Sportster S
Real ownership data from 1,015 UK Sportster S motorcycles — mileage, MOT pass rates and the faults that actually come up, taken from DVSA test records rather than opinion.
Most common Sportster S problems
Ranked by how often each fault appears in this model's MOT history.
| Fault | Severity | Share of faults |
|---|---|---|
| Lights and indicators | major | 20.3% |
| Other | major | 7.6% |
| Brakes | dangerous | 3% |
| Tyres | dangerous | 2.3% |
| Electrical | major | 0.8% |
| Steering and head bearings | major | 0.8% |
| Suspension | major | 0.5% |
| Brake discs and pads | dangerous | 0.3% |
Advisories (wear noted but not failed) are excluded above; the most common is tyres.
Sportster S 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 77 | — | — | — |
| 2025 | 77 | — | — | — |
| 2024 | 127 | 13 mi | — | 100% |
| 2023 | 205 | 2,492 mi | — | 88.51% |
| 2022 | 386 | 3,122 mi | 622 | 92.63% |
| 2021 | 133 | 3,130 mi | 498 | 92.07% |
Sportster S questions, answered with data
What are the most common problems with the Harley-Davidson Sportster S?
Across 1,015 UK examples, the most frequently recorded MOT faults are lights and indicators (20.3% of all recorded faults), other (7.6% of all recorded faults), brakes (3% of all recorded faults).
What is average mileage for a Harley-Davidson Sportster S?
The median Harley-Davidson Sportster S in the UK has covered 3,006 miles, and typically rides about 580 miles a year. Half of all examples fall between 1,677 and 5,176 miles.
Is the Harley-Davidson Sportster S reliable?
91.46% of Harley-Davidson Sportster S MOT tests are passed first time, with an average of 0.42 faults recorded per test. This is measured from DVSA MOT records, not owner opinion.
Based on DVSA MOT test records for 1,015 Harley-Davidson Sportster S motorcycles registered in Great Britain and Northern Ireland. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.