BSA THUNDERBOLT
Real ownership data from 211 UK THUNDERBOLT motorcycles — mileage, MOT pass rates and the faults that actually come up, taken from DVSA test records rather than opinion.
Most common THUNDERBOLT problems
Ranked by how often each fault appears in this model's MOT history.
| Fault | Severity | Share of faults |
|---|---|---|
| Lights and indicators | fail | 11.6% |
| Brakes | fail | 7.6% |
| Steering and head bearings | fail | 2.9% |
| Other | user entered | 2.3% |
| Suspension | fail | 2.1% |
| Tyres | fail | 2.1% |
| Fluid leaks | fail | 1.7% |
| Chain and sprockets | fail | 1.3% |
Advisories (wear noted but not failed) are excluded above; the most common is suspension.
THUNDERBOLT 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1994 | 5 | 34,967 mi | 210 | 94.74% |
| 1991 | 5 | 7,364 mi | 269 | 90.48% |
| 1973 | 13 | 23,470 mi | 118 | 90.59% |
| 1972 | 22 | 23,932 mi | 235 | 88.64% |
| 1971 | 22 | 6,025 mi | 219 | 93.24% |
| 1970 | 22 | 12,409 mi | 78 | 94.5% |
| 1969 | 13 | 13,980 mi | 130 | 90% |
| 1968 | 11 | 23,408 mi | 290 | 93.88% |
| 1967 | 9 | 1,811 mi | 368 | 82.93% |
| 1966 | 9 | 24,275 mi | 145 | 98.04% |
| 1965 | 5 | 13,160 mi | 166 | 100% |
| 1964 | 5 | 4,531 mi | 267 | 94.29% |
| 1962 | 6 | 22,458 mi | 249 | 81.48% |
THUNDERBOLT questions, answered with data
What are the most common problems with the BSA THUNDERBOLT?
Across 211 UK examples, the most frequently recorded MOT faults are lights and indicators (11.6% of all recorded faults), brakes (7.6% of all recorded faults), steering and head bearings (2.9% of all recorded faults).
What is average mileage for a BSA THUNDERBOLT?
The median BSA THUNDERBOLT in the UK has covered 13,068 miles, and typically rides about 163 miles a year. Half of all examples fall between 3,600 and 25,810 miles.
Is the BSA THUNDERBOLT reliable?
91.7% of BSA THUNDERBOLT MOT tests are passed first time, with an average of 0.41 faults recorded per test. This is measured from DVSA MOT records, not owner opinion.
Based on DVSA MOT test records for 211 BSA THUNDERBOLT motorcycles registered in Great Britain and Northern Ireland. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.