Triumph Thunderbird
Real ownership data from 7,762 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 | dangerous | 3.4% |
| Other | fail | 2.1% |
| Steering and head bearings | dangerous | 0.8% |
| Brakes | dangerous | 0.6% |
| Exhaust and emissions | major | 0.6% |
| Controls and cables | major | 0.4% |
| Fluid leaks | fail | 0.4% |
| Wheels | major | 0.3% |
Advisories (wear noted but not failed) are excluded above; the most common is controls and cables.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | 30 | 10,294 mi | 1,348 | 90.2% |
| 2017 | 185 | 10,076 mi | 982 | 90.74% |
| 2016 | 192 | 12,176 mi | 984 | 88.05% |
| 2015 | 324 | 12,769 mi | 1,153 | 89.81% |
| 2014 | 421 | 15,055 mi | 1,072 | 89.53% |
| 2013 | 258 | 14,889 mi | 1,090 | 90.56% |
| 2012 | 278 | 16,208 mi | 1,024 | 88.27% |
| 2011 | 505 | 16,466 mi | 1,045 | 89.96% |
| 2010 | 514 | 17,836 mi | 1,024 | 89.03% |
| 2009 | 286 | 18,678 mi | 998 | 88.7% |
| 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 | 14,736 mi | 590 | 88.69% |
| 2003 | 286 | 16,286 mi | 672 | 89.69% |
| 2002 | 329 | 14,826 mi | 621 | 89.85% |
| 2001 | 286 | 15,998 mi | 612 | 90.03% |
| 2000 | 351 | 18,912 mi | 607 | 88.27% |
| 1999 | 424 | 16,764 mi | 571 | 87.41% |
| 1998 | 511 | 17,518 mi | 540 | 87.18% |
Thunderbird questions, answered with data
What are the most common problems with the Triumph Thunderbird?
Across 7,762 UK examples, the most frequently recorded MOT faults are lights and indicators (3.4% of all recorded faults), other (2.1% of all recorded faults), steering and head bearings (0.8% of all recorded faults).
What is average mileage for a Triumph Thunderbird?
The median Triumph Thunderbird in the UK has covered 16,112 miles, and typically rides about 691 miles a year. Half of all examples fall between 9,089 and 25,649 miles.
Is the Triumph Thunderbird reliable?
88.29% of Triumph Thunderbird MOT tests are passed first time, with an average of 0.51 faults recorded per test. This is measured from DVSA MOT records, not owner opinion.
Based on DVSA MOT test records for 7,762 Triumph Thunderbird motorcycles registered in Great Britain and Northern Ireland. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.