Looking for a GB400TT or 500

[phaedrus01]

As I'm relatively new to his game thought I would just ask if anyone out there knows of any particular quirks or things to look out for on these machines apart from the usual things to look out for on a used bike. Also a rough idea of price? I have seen a few for around $3k ish and one currently on tard me for $1500 but no wof repainted tank etc....Any comments would be appreciated.

Cheers

[birdhandler]

Here is a good place to start they have a devoted following

http://www.thumperpage.com/articles/gb-500faq.html

My understanding from memory is that the 400 with the factory fairing is quite a rare beast so it may be worth taking a punt on but thats IMHO

Good Luck

[monkeymcbean]

Hi, I was originally looking at on of these exactly as you are, as previous post mentions they do come up on 'trademe' quiet frequently, there was a minter listed not long ago that was stored away with only a few hundred kilometers on the clock.
I googled this bike and found a site which does list a few of the things to look out for when buying these second hand, and a few test rides and options on how they ride etc etc...good luck i think they are real cool and can pick them up for a reasonable price.

[KiwiKat]

PM Bonez, he seems to have hankering for these old hondas, particularly the 400. These old beasts have awesome stopping power.

[banditrider]

These old beasts have awesome stopping power.

Nearly stopped a 750F...

[Bonez]

Bloody good wee bikes. Seem to hold their value. No power house though.

http://www.kiwibiker.co.nz/forums/showthread.php?t=12860

[robinm]

motors based on the XL/XR motor, pretty bulletproof, just look /listen carefully for any noises coming from the cam area, as the cams run directly in the Alloy head and if oil changes have not been done on a regular basis can have bad wear in head ( expensive to fix). The 500 would be the better choice, the 400's are very sluggish on the open road.
They respond very well to a bit of tuning, can be bored to 600cc easy and go well.
They handle very well and are a real hoot on tight windy roads.
Internationally they have a huge following.
Nearly all of them will, by now, have a damaged or repaired tank, the clip ons are so close to the tank that even a minor spill will push the ends of the clip ons into the tank.
I enjoyed the 400 I had a couple of years ago, except when riding it on the open ( Main) roads. Roll the throttle on at 90 kmh and wait for the rush, and wait, and wait, then realize the rush is not going to happen, but tight back roads it was fun.

[Bonez]

motors based on the XL/XR motor, pretty bulletproof, just look /listen carefully for any noises coming from the cam area, as the cams run directly in the Alloy head and if oil changes have not been done on a regular basis can have bad wear in head ( expensive to fix). The cams on these run in bearings, well at the ends anyway. The rather complicated rocker setup is known to get sloppy though and the cam chain tensioner isn't of the best design. Typical of Hondas ;).