YAMAHA YZF1000R THUNDERACE

Parts-bin it may have been, but there’s still a lot going for the likes of Yamaha’s Thunderace almost 25 years after launch.

Cheap and very cheerful…

OK, so as we celebrate 65 years of glorious machines from the Yamaha Motor Company we are here pleading the case for one of its also-rans: the YZF1000R Thunderace.

But hang on, is it really an also-ran? Wouldn’t something like a modern Ace sit nicely in amongst the current crop of Yamahas? With the FJR1300 soon to be consigned to history, the YZF-R1 is way too sporty to tour on and – as good as the MT-10 is – wouldn’t a nice, comfy big sports-tourer with a softened-off R1 motor work? Who knows?

We do know that back in the day (the end of 1996) the Honda CBR900RR Fireblade had reigned supreme for four years and was entering its third generation with the RR-T/V a more relaxed version of the original rip-snorting four-cylinder. Yamaha wanted to give Honda a thrashing and

– while working on their YZF-R1 for 1998 – they released what was really a stop-gap parts-bin special.

If that sounds harsh, it’s not meant to be as the motor was the venerable 20-valve 1002cc EXUP, which was still a lusty motor, pumping out around 145bhp with some minor tweaks (some lighter engine internals and updates to the carbs) which helped give the motor a more freer revving feel. The chassis was also a bit of what Yamaha had lying around. The main frame was similar to, and adapted from, the YZF750, while the brakes were the capable blue-spot Sumitomo calipers. Suspension was adjustable, too.

Performance-wise it was fast, but still not really taking the fight to the Fireblade when it came to handling and weight (the Ace was 198 kilos dry, 16 more than the RR-T/V). Yamaha even tried (and failed) to give the bike a cool/trendy name to best the ‘Blade’. I mean, what on earth is a ‘Thunderace’ anyways?

But here’s where we suggest that a good Ace has a lot to love about it. Firstly, you’d need to find a well-looked-after one, as they can suffer from lack of TLC, but even good ’uns are cheap. From the original list price of £8999 (reduced drastically to around £7500 when the last ones rolled out of showrooms in 2003/4), a rough one costs a grand while a nice one sits at £2500. That’s a 165mph motorcycle that can take you and a pillion anywhere with proven reliability. We like the sound of that.