The picture
Xl 1200 C Custom Sport: a strong MOT record by UK norms
Across 618 MOT tests, the Xl 1200 C Custom Sport returns 88.8% first-time pass — comfortably ahead of the UK fleet average. The single most-logged Major fail is a stop-lamp out. A non-conforming number plate and direction indicator lamp missing round out the top three. Average tested mileage sits at 16,637, 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.
- 01
Stop lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning
5 occurrences · 0.8% of tests
- 02
Number plate does not conform to the specified requirements
4 occurrences · 0.6% of tests
- 03
A direction indicator lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning
3 occurrences · 0.5% of tests
- 04
A shock absorber not functioning or leaking severely
3 occurrences · 0.5% of tests
- 05
A headlamp missing, inoperative or more than ½ not functioning in the case of LED
2 occurrences · 0.3% of tests
- 06
A lamp missing or inoperative
2 occurrences · 0.3% of tests
- 07
A stop lamp(s) remains on when the brakes are released
2 occurrences · 0.3% of tests
- 08
A mandatory tell-tale for direction indicators missing or inoperative
2 occurrences · 0.3% of tests
- 09
Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements
2 occurrences · 0.3% of tests
- 10
A footrest missing or insecure
2 occurrences · 0.3% 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 3 failures
£33–£150
If every one of this XL 1200 C Custom Sport'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 →
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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 XL 1200 C Custom Sport?
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 XL 1200 C Custom Sport 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.