Triumph Thunderbird
Real ownership data from 7,787 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Fuel system | fail | 15.5% |
| Fork seals | dangerous | 7.2% |
| Suspension | dangerous | 6.4% |
| Steering and head bearings | fail | 6.1% |
| Corrosion | user entered | 5.7% |
| Frame and structure | dangerous | 4.2% |
| Chain and sprockets | dangerous | 4.2% |
| Tyres | dangerous | 2.7% |
Advisories (wear noted but not failed) are excluded above; the most common is corrosion.
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 | 1,310 | 89.52% |
| 2017 | 187 | 10,212 mi | 979 | 90.72% |
| 2016 | 192 | 12,176 mi | 988 | 87.91% |
| 2015 | 325 | 12,826 mi | 1,150 | 89.77% |
| 2014 | 422 | 15,149 mi | 1,072 | 89.57% |
| 2013 | 260 | 14,918 mi | 1,090 | 90.61% |
| 2012 | 278 | 16,244 mi | 1,023 | 88.33% |
| 2011 | 508 | 16,643 mi | 1,037 | 89.97% |
| 2010 | 516 | 18,016 mi | 1,023 | 89.03% |
| 2009 | 285 | 18,802 mi | 998 | 88.66% |
| 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 | 88.71% |
| 2003 | 287 | 16,456 mi | 672 | 89.78% |
| 2002 | 329 | 14,922 mi | 623 | 89.84% |
| 2001 | 286 | 16,212 mi | 612 | 90.04% |
| 2000 | 351 | 18,912 mi | 612 | 88.29% |
| 1999 | 428 | 16,918 mi | 581 | 87.38% |
| 1998 | 511 | 17,677 mi | 540 | 87.15% |
Thunderbird questions, answered with data
What are the most common problems with the Triumph Thunderbird?
Across 7,787 UK examples, the most frequently recorded MOT faults are fuel system (15.5% of all recorded faults), fork seals (7.2% of all recorded faults), suspension (6.4% of all recorded faults).
What is average mileage for a Triumph Thunderbird?
The median Triumph Thunderbird in the UK has covered 16,241 miles, and typically rides about 691 miles a year. Half of all examples fall between 9,148 and 25,755 miles.
Is the Triumph Thunderbird reliable?
88.3% of Triumph Thunderbird MOT tests are passed first time, with an average of 0 faults recorded per test. This is measured from DVSA MOT records, not owner opinion.
Based on DVSA MOT test records for 7,787 Triumph Thunderbird motorcycles registered in Great Britain and Northern Ireland. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.