Royal Enfield THUNDERBIRD
Real ownership data from 67 UK THUNDERBIRD motorcycles — mileage, MOT pass rates and the faults that actually come up, taken from DVSA test records rather than opinion.
Most common THUNDERBIRD problems
Ranked by how often each fault appears in this model's MOT history.
| Fault | Severity | Share of faults |
|---|---|---|
| Lights and indicators | major | 23.2% |
| Brakes | dangerous | 5.6% |
| Suspension | major | 3.2% |
| Tyres | dangerous | 2.4% |
| Other | fail | 2% |
| Electrical | major | 2% |
| Fluid leaks | major | 0.8% |
| Controls and cables | major | 0.8% |
Advisories (wear noted but not failed) are excluded above; the most common is suspension.
THUNDERBIRD 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 | 5 | 2,704 mi | 628 | 94.59% |
| 2008 | 8 | 4,232 mi | 284 | 88.57% |
| 2007 | 7 | 2,096 mi | 2,228 | 88.24% |
| 2005 | 9 | 4,746 mi | 770 | 86.11% |
| 2004 | 5 | 8,177 mi | 2 | 86.05% |
THUNDERBIRD questions, answered with data
What are the most common problems with the Royal Enfield THUNDERBIRD?
Across 67 UK examples, the most frequently recorded MOT faults are lights and indicators (23.2% of all recorded faults), brakes (5.6% of all recorded faults), suspension (3.2% of all recorded faults).
What is average mileage for a Royal Enfield THUNDERBIRD?
The median Royal Enfield THUNDERBIRD in the UK has covered 2,449 miles, and typically rides about 407 miles a year. Half of all examples fall between 1,436 and 8,878 miles.
Is the Royal Enfield THUNDERBIRD reliable?
85.26% of Royal Enfield THUNDERBIRD MOT tests are passed first time, with an average of 0.5 faults recorded per test. This is measured from DVSA MOT records, not owner opinion.
Based on DVSA MOT test records for 67 Royal Enfield THUNDERBIRD motorcycles registered in Great Britain and Northern Ireland. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.