The Bantams outclassed a lumbering Macclesfield side that looked woefully off the pace.
Bradford took the game to the home side in the opening ten minutes with Paul Arnison and Omar Daley sending shots inches over the crossbar.
Their pressure told in the tenth minute when Joe Colbeck picked out Thorne with a pin-point 30-yard cross.
The striker shuffled backwards before looping an intelligent header back over the advancing Jonny Brain.
Thorne pounced again just four minutes later when Sean Hessey fluffed a simple clearance allowing the striker to pick up the scraps and lash home a low 15-yard drive.
They again went close on 18 minutes when speedy wingman Daley flew inside before thumping a shot agonisingly wide.
Macclesfield's first chance came in the 21st minute when youngster Gareth Evans met a Danny Thomas cross with a rising half-volley that sailed past the upright.
Midfielder Lee Bell then had two long-range shots go wide of the mark as the home side continued to lack invention and imagination.
Maccelsfield were better after the break when they reverted to a 4-4-2 formation and in the 62nd minute they created their best chance when Evans released substitute Francis Green who warmed the hands of keeper Rhys Evans with a stinging drive.
However, it was the Bantams who came closest to having more goals as the game reached its closing stages.
In the 69th minute, Michael Boulding drilled a low left-foot shot on the turn against the inside of the far post.
Then in the 82nd minute, fans' favourite Lee Bullock sent a powerful drive just over the bar.
But the best opportunity fell to Daley, who danced in off the right wing before seeing a fierce rising drive crash off the inside of the near post and agonisingly across the line.