BIKERELIABILITY
MOT DATA · GREAT BRITAIN · 2005–2025
League table/ TRIUMPH/THUNDERBIRD
Model report · 2005–2025

TRIUMPH THUNDERBIRD

885cc Petrol Class 2
#1666 of 5426 overall #113 of 175 TRIUMPHs #336 of 465 cruiser bikes
TRIUMPH THUNDERBIRD
Photo: MrPanyGoff · CC BY-SA 3.0
87.8%
first-time pass rate
6.2%
failed outright
13,106
median miles at test
56.3k
MOT tests, 2005–2025

Pass rate over time

first-time pass rate by test year · 2005–2025

The THUNDERBIRD's first-time pass rate has risen 1.7 points since 2005, 87.8% to 89.5%.

85%88%92%2005: 87.8% pass (492 tests)2006: 87.9% pass (2,941 tests)2007: 87.4% pass (2,995 tests)2008: 86.9% pass (2,925 tests)2009: 86.1% pass (2,882 tests)2010: 86.3% pass (2,733 tests)2011: 86.1% pass (2,723 tests)2012: 88.1% pass (2,612 tests)2013: 86.5% pass (2,658 tests)2014: 85.9% pass (2,684 tests)2015: 88.5% pass (2,725 tests)2016: 88.2% pass (2,890 tests)2017: 88.2% pass (3,120 tests)2018: 87.8% pass (2,512 tests)2019: 87.7% pass (2,666 tests)2020: 88.8% pass (2,457 tests)2021: 88.2% pass (3,254 tests)2022: 88.9% pass (3,166 tests)2023: 90.5% pass (3,067 tests)2024: 88.2% pass (2,310 tests)2025: 89.5% pass (2,500 tests)20052025

Pass rate by mileage

how the THUNDERBIRD's first-time pass rate falls with the odometer · class average 84.9%

A low-mileage THUNDERBIRD passes first time 90.5% of the time; by 50k that's 83.6%.

82%87%92%0k: 90.5% pass (20,987 tests)10k: 87.3% pass (19,301 tests)20k: 85.4% pass (9,297 tests)30k: 84.3% pass (3,725 tests)40k: 83.2% pass (1,484 tests)50k: 83.6% pass (665 tests)0k30k50k

First-time pass rate by odometer reading at test, 10,000-mile bands for this model. Mileage is the strongest reliability signal. See the full curve.

What fails on a THUNDERBIRD

failure defects by component group · advisories excluded
Component group Share of defects Defects % of defects vs all bikes
brakes
1,455 25.9 0.5×
lighting and signalling
1,158 20.6 0.4×
steering and suspension
686 12.2 0.3×
tyres and wheels
634 11.3 0.5×
lamps and reflectors
554 9.9 0.5×
tyres
327 5.8 0.8×
fuel and exhaust
289 5.1 0.6×
suspension
174 3.1 0.4×
structure and attachments
174 3.1 0.4×
drive system
171 3 0.3×

Defects recorded against failed normal tests, 2005–2025, grouped by DVSA inspection section. One test can record multiple defects. "vs all bikes" is how often this model's tests record a defect in the group, as a multiple of the all-bike rate.

How rivals compare

same type, similar capacity, high test volume

On first-time pass rate the THUNDERBIRD beats 1 of its 4 closest rivals (TRIUMPH BONNEVILLE, HARLEY-DAVIDSON XLH 883, HARLEY-DAVIDSON XL).

TRIUMPH BONNEVILLE 89.0% pass · 195k tests HARLEY-DAVIDSON XLH 883 87.4% pass · 41.2k tests HARLEY-DAVIDSON XL 87.9% pass · 18.5k tests TRIUMPH BONNEVILLE T 100 (865) 89.6% pass · 16.2k tests

Rivals share this bike's type and sit within ±30% of its engine capacity, ≥ 5,000 tests. Card colour = better/worse first-time pass rate than the THUNDERBIRD.

Pass rate by registration year

how each model-year cohort fares · registration year from first use date

Best year to buy used: 1960 (95.5% pass). Weakest: 1995 (84.0%).

82%90%98%1950: 93.7% pass (79 tests)1951: 90.0% pass (60 tests)1952: 89.4% pass (123 tests)1953: 88.2% pass (68 tests)1954: 90.6% pass (117 tests)1955: 93.2% pass (191 tests)1956: 87.0% pass (115 tests)1957: 93.3% pass (164 tests)1958: 93.9% pass (180 tests)1959: 92.4% pass (210 tests)1960: 95.5% pass (379 tests)1961: 91.9% pass (359 tests)1962: 91.9% pass (149 tests)1963: 95.2% pass (147 tests)1964: 90.2% pass (153 tests)1965: 90.2% pass (245 tests)1966: 91.6% pass (371 tests)1967: 93.3% pass (60 tests)1971: 90.4% pass (125 tests)1981: 86.5% pass (74 tests)1982: 89.9% pass (237 tests)1983: 85.5% pass (166 tests)1995: 84.0% pass (5,742 tests)1996: 84.9% pass (4,648 tests)1997: 84.8% pass (3,121 tests)1998: 86.7% pass (5,011 tests)1999: 86.9% pass (4,101 tests)2000: 87.9% pass (3,964 tests)2001: 89.8% pass (3,262 tests)2002: 89.4% pass (3,817 tests)2003: 89.5% pass (3,316 tests)2004: 88.7% pass (2,183 tests)2009: 88.7% pass (1,030 tests)2010: 87.8% pass (1,784 tests)2011: 88.1% pass (962 tests)2012: 89.1% pass (928 tests)2013: 90.5% pass (1,721 tests)2014: 89.2% pass (2,899 tests)2015: 89.9% pass (1,862 tests)2016: 87.8% pass (1,023 tests)2017: 90.8% pass (894 tests)2018: 92.3% pass (78 tests)195019832018

First-time pass rate by the year each bike was first registered (cohorts with ≥ 50 tests). Older cohorts are survivors: the worst examples have already left the road, which tends to lift the earliest years.

TRIUMPH THUNDERBIRD FAQ

answers computed from the data above · terms in the glossary

Is the TRIUMPH THUNDERBIRD reliable?

The TRIUMPH THUNDERBIRD is more reliable than average for its class: 87.8% of its 56,312 MOT tests (2005–2025) passed first time, against a class average of 84.9%. That ranks it #1666 of 5426 models.

What does a THUNDERBIRD fail its MOT on most?

brakes — 26% of all defects recorded against failed THUNDERBIRD tests.

What is the best year of THUNDERBIRD to buy used?

By first-time pass rate, 1960-registered examples do best (95.5%) and 1995 worst (84.0%). Condition and history still trump the year.

How many miles will a THUNDERBIRD last?

The median THUNDERBIRD shows 13,106 miles at test, and examples around 50k miles still pass 83.6% of the time — mileage alone rarely kills one.