Harley-Davidson V-Rod
Real ownership data from 5,388 UK V-Rod motorcycles — mileage, MOT pass rates and the faults that actually come up, taken from DVSA test records rather than opinion.
Most common V-Rod problems
Ranked by how often each fault appears in this model's MOT history.
| Fault | Severity | Share of faults |
|---|---|---|
| Lights and indicators | major | 22.3% |
| Controls and cables | dangerous | 12.2% |
| Electrical | major | 11.2% |
| Suspension | dangerous | 5.2% |
| Steering and head bearings | dangerous | 4.2% |
| Frame and structure | fail | 2.9% |
| Other | dangerous | 2.6% |
| Wheels | major | 2.3% |
Advisories (wear noted but not failed) are excluded above; the most common is corrosion.
V-Rod 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 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | 13 | 3,903 mi | 436 | 88.37% |
| 2017 | 85 | 5,033 mi | 352 | 89.74% |
| 2016 | 219 | 5,656 mi | 427 | 89.59% |
| 2015 | 198 | 6,655 mi | 562 | 88.53% |
| 2014 | 238 | 7,592 mi | 632 | 88% |
| 2013 | 179 | 8,381 mi | 634 | 87.57% |
| 2012 | 125 | 8,055 mi | 610 | 87.75% |
| 2011 | 179 | 9,653 mi | 728 | 90.56% |
| 2010 | 259 | 9,341 mi | 667 | 90.17% |
| 2009 | 364 | 9,348 mi | 609 | 87.4% |
| 2008 | 379 | 9,431 mi | 559 | 89.06% |
| 2007 | 664 | 8,515 mi | 622 | 87.26% |
| 2006 | 520 | 9,511 mi | 548 | 88.12% |
| 2005 | 481 | 8,404 mi | 558 | 87.54% |
| 2004 | 368 | 8,677 mi | 502 | 87.93% |
| 2003 | 611 | 8,035 mi | 382 | 89.35% |
| 2002 | 494 | 9,279 mi | 411 | 89.31% |
| 2001 | 5 | 14,645 mi | 672 | 88.24% |
V-Rod questions, answered with data
What are the most common problems with the Harley-Davidson V-Rod?
Across 5,388 UK examples, the most frequently recorded MOT faults are lights and indicators (22.3% of all recorded faults), controls and cables (12.2% of all recorded faults), electrical (11.2% of all recorded faults).
What is average mileage for a Harley-Davidson V-Rod?
The median Harley-Davidson V-Rod in the UK has covered 8,405 miles, and typically rides about 512 miles a year. Half of all examples fall between 4,123 and 15,123 miles.
Is the Harley-Davidson V-Rod reliable?
88.52% of Harley-Davidson V-Rod MOT tests are passed first time, with an average of 0.01 faults recorded per test. This is measured from DVSA MOT records, not owner opinion.
Based on DVSA MOT test records for 5,388 Harley-Davidson V-Rod motorcycles registered in Great Britain and Northern Ireland. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.