Triumph Thunderbird
Real ownership data from 7,777 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Controls and cables | major | 16.6% |
| Fluid leaks | dangerous | 10.1% |
| Fuel system | fail | 7.5% |
| Wheels | user entered | 4.8% |
| Frame and structure | major | 4.2% |
| Corrosion | major | 3.1% |
| Fork seals | fail | 3.1% |
| Steering and head bearings | user entered | 2.6% |
Advisories (wear noted but not failed) are excluded above; the most common is tyres.
Thunderbird 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 | 30 | 10,294 mi | 1,348 | 89.42% |
| 2017 | 186 | 10,135 mi | 973 | 90.74% |
| 2016 | 192 | 12,176 mi | 985 | 88% |
| 2015 | 325 | 12,800 mi | 1,150 | 89.72% |
| 2014 | 421 | 15,073 mi | 1,064 | 89.53% |
| 2013 | 259 | 14,944 mi | 1,096 | 90.61% |
| 2012 | 278 | 16,244 mi | 1,023 | 88.28% |
| 2011 | 507 | 16,466 mi | 1,036 | 89.94% |
| 2010 | 515 | 17,867 mi | 1,024 | 89.06% |
| 2009 | 285 | 18,678 mi | 998 | 88.67% |
| 2008 | 7 | 8,850 mi | 456 | 66.67% |
| 2006 | 5 | 1,477 mi | 224 | 96% |
| 2005 | 10 | 2,178 mi | 294 | 85.71% |
| 2004 | 205 | 14,806 mi | 590 | 88.72% |
| 2003 | 287 | 16,283 mi | 672 | 89.77% |
| 2002 | 329 | 14,826 mi | 623 | 89.85% |
| 2001 | 286 | 16,212 mi | 612 | 90.02% |
| 2000 | 350 | 18,952 mi | 612 | 88.28% |
| 1999 | 426 | 16,876 mi | 578 | 87.4% |
| 1998 | 511 | 17,677 mi | 540 | 87.14% |
Thunderbird questions, answered with data
What are the most common problems with the Triumph Thunderbird?
Across 7,777 UK examples, the most frequently recorded MOT faults are controls and cables (16.6% of all recorded faults), fluid leaks (10.1% of all recorded faults), fuel system (7.5% of all recorded faults).
What is average mileage for a Triumph Thunderbird?
The median Triumph Thunderbird in the UK has covered 16,186 miles, and typically rides about 691 miles a year. Half of all examples fall between 9,126 and 25,688 miles.
Is the Triumph Thunderbird reliable?
88.29% of Triumph Thunderbird 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 7,777 Triumph Thunderbird motorcycles registered in Great Britain and Northern Ireland. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.