This YZF 1000 Thunderace bike from 1997 immigrated from Europe. These were only sold in the US for one year, so they are not in abundance this side of the pond. This fact however does not translate into hard-to-find parts as this bike was created from other Yamaha parts.
In a nutshell, this bike combines sport bike with tour bike. It’s got that cool aggressive look with slick fairings that help it cut through the air, and a seriously strong engine. We’re talking a 1003cc inline-four engine that pumps out loads of power and torque. That means it’s got the guts for tearing up twisty roads with some oomph and also handles cruising on the highway like a champ. It’s the best of both worlds!
From the seller:
1997 Yamaha YZF Thunderace 1000 with super low miles (Km’s) A beautiful bike in amazing condition. Everything works as it should.
No issues I can see or feel when riding. Imported from Europe and difficult to find here.
Rare thoughts:
Considering how much thunder we have experienced this summer in the Northeast, I laughed when this Thunderace popped up. It looks like it would be a lot of fun for a tour of the Green Mountains, the White Mountains or the Adirondacks, if it ever stops raining.
After reading up on the past RSBFS posts of this model, I learned a lot in the comments.
UNDER-RATED
As ‘Martin g’ commented on one of our RSBFS YZF posts from 2018, “A seriously under-rated bike, probably because it was followed by the R1. Kind of like the “before” picture in a weight loss advert, will now be an excellent choice for a slightly more mature rider not concerned with racing between the lights but not ready for a glowing. Can actually handle two people without issue, unlike the R1 which followed it.”
WHO WANTS TO BE A SHEEP?
And as ‘Evrev’ commented (all the way from down under) “I’ve had mine since 2000, I’ll never sell it either. It soaks up the bumps on our shit Aussie roads brilliantly, I haven’t had the need for a steering damper either. It goes like the clappers, and although I’ve read otherwise, my Thunderace has never required a top up of oil in it’s 46,000km lifetime.
Compared to the R1, the Ace soaks up bumps better, it’s a lot rarer (who wants to be a sheep), and is only a smidge behind the R1 in all other areas.”
The bike is listed for $6,000 and it looks like this same bike was reviewed by Dan last May. Then it was listed for $6,500. Could be a good bet? Good luck to the seller and buyer!
– Red
22k miles is super low? If you’re going to BS about that, what else is “super low”?
Really heavy and they like to eat cranks when you ride it like a sport/track/race bike.