Yamaha THUNDERCAT
Real ownership data from 350 UK THUNDERCAT motorcycles — mileage, MOT pass rates and the faults that actually come up, taken from DVSA test records rather than opinion.
Most common THUNDERCAT problems
Ranked by how often each fault appears in this model's MOT history.
| Fault | Severity | Share of faults |
|---|---|---|
| Lights and indicators | major | 10.7% |
| Brakes | major | 6.2% |
| Suspension | major | 4.2% |
| Tyres | dangerous | 4% |
| Brake discs and pads | fail | 2.8% |
| Other | fail | 2.6% |
| Chain and sprockets | major | 2% |
| Exhaust and emissions | fail | 1.1% |
Advisories (wear noted but not failed) are excluded above; the most common is brake discs and pads.
THUNDERCAT 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2003 | 5 | 26,749 mi | 1,282 | 74.19% |
| 2001 | 6 | 50,256 mi | 2,317 | 80.88% |
| 2000 | 12 | 35,213 mi | 1,445 | 78.06% |
| 1999 | 14 | 28,084 mi | 1,092 | 79.27% |
| 1998 | 39 | 31,173 mi | 981 | 74.55% |
| 1997 | 121 | 34,860 mi | 1,263 | 80.25% |
| 1996 | 144 | 36,205 mi | 1,101 | 77.09% |
THUNDERCAT questions, answered with data
What are the most common problems with the Yamaha THUNDERCAT?
Across 350 UK examples, the most frequently recorded MOT faults are lights and indicators (10.7% of all recorded faults), brakes (6.2% of all recorded faults), suspension (4.2% of all recorded faults).
What is average mileage for a Yamaha THUNDERCAT?
The median Yamaha THUNDERCAT in the UK has covered 34,968 miles, and typically rides about 1,145 miles a year. Half of all examples fall between 26,020 and 45,660 miles.
Is the Yamaha THUNDERCAT reliable?
78.22% of Yamaha THUNDERCAT MOT tests are passed first time, with an average of 1.11 faults recorded per test. This is measured from DVSA MOT records, not owner opinion.
Based on DVSA MOT test records for 350 Yamaha THUNDERCAT motorcycles registered in Great Britain and Northern Ireland. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.