MOT cost .

Harley Davidson

1200

531 MOT tests analysed. sits above the UK fleet average — here's where 1200s pass, fail, and end up on the retest sheet.

That's 13.0 points above the UK fleet average across our 1,988 tracked models — a confident result.

Pass

88.7%

Pass-after-fix

6.4%

Fail

4.7%

Avg miles

11,450

Pass + Pass-after-fix + Fail = 100%

The picture

1200: a strong MOT record by UK norms

Across 531 MOT tests, the 1200 returns 88.7% first-time pass — comfortably ahead of the UK fleet average. The single most-logged Major fail is stop lamp(s) remains on when the brakes. Lamp missing or inoperative and a non-conforming number plate round out the top three. Average tested mileage sits at 11,450, which is the lens to read those failure rankings through. If you own one and the next test is close, the ranked list below is a sensible pre-test checklist.

Top ten reasons for rejection.

  1. 01

    A stop lamp(s) remains on when the brakes are released

    6 occurrences · 1.1% of tests

  2. 02

    A lamp missing or inoperative

    5 occurrences · 0.9% of tests

  3. 03

    Number plate does not conform to the specified requirements

    2 occurrences · 0.4% of tests

  4. 04

    The aim of a headlamp is not within limits laid down in the requirements

    2 occurrences · 0.4% of tests

  5. 05

    Stop lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning

    2 occurrences · 0.4% of tests

  6. 06

    A lamp likely to become detached

    2 occurrences · 0.4% of tests

  7. 07

    Reflector missing or reflecting white to the rear

    2 occurrences · 0.4% of tests

  8. 08

    A stop lamp(s) does not illuminate by the operation of both brake controls or remains on when the brakes are released

    2 occurrences · 0.4% of tests

  9. 09

    Brake efficiency below minimum requirement

    1 occurrences · 0.2% of tests

  10. 10

    Number plate showing an incorrect registration

    1 occurrences · 0.2% of tests

Counts cover Major and Dangerous defects logged at test. Advisory items excluded so this shows why a car was rejected, not just what the tester flagged in passing.

Worst-case fix budget · top 4 failures

£41–£185

If every one of this 1200's most-logged Major fails hit at the same MOT, that's the real-world UK garage range. Reality is usually one or two items, not all of them. Open the estimator →

Try the calculator

Build your own retest budget.

Tools that pre-empt a retest.

Picked against this car's top failure patterns. Affiliate links to Amazon UK — we earn a small cut at no cost to you. Disclosed up-front, doesn't shape the data.

Item 01 · Amazon UK

H7 / W21W bulb pack

A spare-bulb kit lives in the boot. Test morning is not the time to find your stop-lamp's gone.

Search Amazon UK

Item 02 · Amazon UK

MOT-spec replacement number plate

Faded or non-standard plates fail outright. Replacements take ten minutes online with V5C details.

Search Amazon UK

Item 03 · Amazon UK

Headlight restoration kit

Yellowed lenses fail the light-output test. A restoration kit lifts the haze in an afternoon for £20.

Search Amazon UK

Buying or keeping a 1200?

Use the failure ranking as a pre-test checklist or a haggling lever. Treat the headline pass rate as a fleet-wide trend, not a guarantee on any individual car.

If you own a 1200 and your last MOT looked nothing like the ranked failures above, that's normal — individual cars vary widely. The ranking shows the patterns testers flag most often across the country.