thinking of buying a thundercat

Hi all
well after owning yamaha.s all my life fazers fz6 r1 R6 ybr tdm tdr
I'm strongly thinking of buying a thundercat
any advice on these bikes would be a great help
thanks jp

I too am a long time Yamaha fan, 4xRD350YPVS, RD250, RD250LC, FZ750, FZ600, FZ1S, XJR1300SP and of course a Thundercat.

Had the Thundercat since 2000 and it has been a brilliant all rounder.

The youngest example will be eleven years old, but they are mechanically tough. 2nd can go pop so check that is ok.

Worn cycle parts, the rear shock can go soft

Good electrics, but the headlamp beam itself isn't great

Down pipes can rot

Brake calipers can stick if not cleaned regularly

Otherwise pretty tough

Bikes with issues start at £500, one sold on here for that recently with a gearbox problem I think. Generally though the sound, MOT'd examples start around £1000 and run up to £1800-2000 for exceptional late examples

A friend of mine just bought a tidy R example from a dealer with a full MOT, fresh tyres, C&S, service and with 14k on the clock for £1400.

That should give you a few pointers.

Happy hunting

Thanks mate
goin to view it today !

Bought the thundercat today and even tho I currently own a fz6 n and have had all the fazer models and a cbr600rr I have to say the thundercat is awesome I had the biggest grin on my face in the snowey weather on the test drive
can't wait to get back out on it

J.P wrote:Bought the thundercat today and even tho I currently own a fz6 n and have had all the fazer models and a cbr600rr I have to say the thundercat is awesome I had the biggest grin on my face in the snowey weather on the test drive
can't wait to get back out on it

Good stuff, what year, colour, miles etc

2000 ... silver .black ..gold colour
19k miles 3 owners .. 2 of wich looked after it and kept a good service history it's has braided lines allround and some good tyres on it . Last owner had it 2 year and done feck all to it . Let run out of mot and never serviced it .. its a bit rough around the edges but I'm sure il bring the old girl back to life
starting with a service
and sorting the speedo wich stopped working on way home

Congrats on the purchase J.P.

Welcome to the club!

Thanks mate !

With regard to your speedo question in the Workshop (can't reply as you've managed to post it in a locked area - all new posts should go in the sub-sections).

Anyway - most obvious thing (you may have checked) is to check the speedo cable is securely connected to the bottom of the front left fork? To check the other end behind the dash you'll have to remove the fairing so check the basics 1st.

Ok will do Thanks

J.P wrote:...sorting the speedo which stopped working on way home.

That could be due to poor maintenance, not enough grease. My speedo' cable sheared a few inches from the drive unit, it was replaced and has been fine ever since.

The thundercat past its mot today so on the way home I picked up some oil and filters to give it a service . I decided to take all the plastics off to give the old girl a good goin over
Serviced and cleaned it all up touched up paint etc done exhaust and downpipes and I can safely say il never take the fairings off again !!!
What a mission it was to get it all fitted back on lol

congrats - it's hard work but satisfying as well. Well done!

The front brakes are a bit stickey
they work perfectly when driving but if the bike is left sitting for a wile its hard to push
Any advice what I should do with them to free them up ??

Start with a good clean. This video is a good guide, and the whole channel is a great place for maintenance tips.
Delboy's Garage