Yamaha Thunderace 1000

Having lost a 2000 zx12r of 6 years to a drunk plonker in a white van resulting in a low ins payout, after 35 years of riding I decided to get a yamaha for the first time a thunderace and oh boy! What a bike to my surprise as it was nimble around town & corners compared to my ex zx12 ninja ( which was a heavy bike)I found it to be a bit vibey on the motorway so I checked & balance the carbs which were way out and behold what a transformation it made! the brakes were the best I had out of the 23 bikes I owned over the years.It was nearly as quick as the zx12r til 70mph thanks to the EXUP valve system which gave the best of both worlds performance out of a 20 valver Bike. The suspension was too hard so I set it up on the softside to stop rebound clatter on uneven roads. I was one of the lucky ones having one that didn't drink any oil til it hit over 40,000 miles and then it started to drink a tea cuppa every week doing 250 miles aweek commuting.35 mpg was the norm about 160 miles before reserve Amber light came on.MUST DO! EXUP valve service every year and top valves every 20,000 miles and never MISSED A BEAT! and started first time every time!THE most realiable Bike I've ever owned & most underrated bike I 've come across!It almost seemed winter repellent as no rust developed in the 2 winters I rode it with a quick wash every week.Gonna get me another one in the near future! Reasons are plenty as one of them is mainly I won't stand to lose thousand £££ should another plonker pulls out in front of me with the ins company pay outs.

Yamaha's YZF1000R is one of today's best supersports bikes, but it is up against some tough competition. The FireBlade has a huge following, and the Ace has never come close to stealing the Honda's thunder. The YZF1000R even plays second fiddle in the performance stakes to Yamaha's own R1.

So why would anyone want a Thunderace? It's all about horses for courses. If you want one of the most focussed 1000cc supersports, then the YZF-R1 is for you. But the R1 is too extreme for most riders who have to get to work on a wet and windy Monday morning after their trackday thrash. If you want a bike that's a brilliant all-rounder the Ace is a better buy.

Heart of the Thunderace is Yamaha's legendary 1002cc 20-valve forward-slanting liquid-cooled four-cylinder motor. It is equipped with downdraught carburettors, throttle position sensor, gear position sensor, and a torque-boosting EXUP system for massive low- to mid-range performance.

With a claimed 143bhp at 10,000rpm there's plenty of grunt available for easy roll-on overtaking. Keep the engine spinning above 7000 and this bike really motors. Top speed is a touch over 160mph.

Like its little brother the Thundercat, the Ace has a 'an aerodynamically-efficient fairing and low stress ergonomically-developed riding position'. Which means the Ace is a lot more comfortable to ride if you want to cover long distances quickly. The Thunderace handles pretty good too, thanks to the super-stiff alloy Deltabox chassis.

The 298mm front discs and lightweight four-pot calipers are some of the best available on a street bike, and are the same as used on the 175mph R1 - in fact, the Thunderace was running them two years before the R1 was launched. The superbly engineered one-piece front brake calipers deliver enormous stopping power combined with bags of feel.

Think more sports-tourer than supersports. Fast, comfortable and with sure handling, the Thunderace is a great all-rounder. And if your pillion passenger has any say on the matter, the R1 or Blade won't get a look-in.