400cc sport/road bike

[quickbuck]

I had a CBR400 Aero for many years. Even did a two up 2 week tour of the south Island on it. Pack weighed in at 30kg or so.

Did the trip no worries.

Yes, a 400 is a great stepping stone.
Many people who jump to a 600 never really learn how to ride them.

[LankyBastard]

what's the biggest difference you have noticed so far?

I got Robert Taylor at Crown Kiwi to build a custom ohlins rear, and replace the front fork internals with racetech parts. Bike is now much flatter through the corners, feels way more balanced. The old stuff was way to soft and the damping was shot. Honestly it has trandformed the bike. Now quite the back road weapon!

[avgas]

Im close to getting a 400. Probably a ZXR. They are priced nicely unlike the VFR which is generally 4.5k+. GSXR and FZR are also priced nicely just at the wrong ends of the country!

Contrary to me owning an FZR, the ZXR is hands down the best 400.
Especially if you get one with the SP parts on it - Ask Klown he has my old one.

[HenryDorsetCase]

I got Robert Taylor at Crown Kiwi to build a custom ohlins rear, and replace the front fork internals with racetech parts. Bike is now much flatter through the corners, feels way more balanced. The old stuff was way to soft and the damping was shot. Honestly it has trandformed the bike. Now quite the back road weapon!

I agree entirely: I did this on my trackbike and it transformed it. The interesting thing is that more rear ride height means I now have little chicken strips on the back tyre. whereas with the stock shock, it was right off the edge and balling up bigtime. Totally the best money you can spend on a bike, and I have had superb service from CKT every time. And all these bikes are 20 or so years old nearly: no wonder they need a bit of help!

[sil3nt]

Contrary to me owning an FZR, the ZXR is hands down the best 400.
Especially if you get one with the SP parts on it - Ask Klown he has my old one.

All the 400s are good in their own way. I dont quite buy into the whole VFR is the best malarkey. Granted i haven't ridden any. From doing a bit of research i have found:

VFR and RVF: Reliable, good midrange, good handling.
ZXR: Reliable, good top end, stiff suspension but good on a track.
FZR: Not quite as reliable (weak clutch), razor sharp handling (apparently the best of the bunch), decent engine.
GSXR: Reliable, good handling and good engine.
CBR: Reliable, good handling and good engine.

So its whatever fits best i guess!

[Gibbo89]

All the 400s are good in their own way. I dont quite buy into the whole VFR is the best malarkey. Granted i haven't ridden any. From doing a bit of research i have found:

VFR and RVF: Reliable, good midrange, good handling.
ZXR: Reliable, good top end, stiff suspension but good on a track.
FZR: Not quite as reliable (weak clutch), razor sharp handling (apparently the best of the bunch), decent engine.
GSXR: Reliable, good handling and good engine.
CBR: Reliable, good handling and good engine.

So its whatever fits best i guess!

good to know, i heard that you want the cbr with the dual headlight though, i assume the single headlight style 1 is a tad older.

and yeah, upgrading the suspension after 15 to 20 years i'm sure would do wonders

[sil3nt]

good to know, i heard that you want the cbr with the dual headlight though, i assume the single headlight style 1 is a tad older.

and yeah, upgrading the suspension after 15 to 20 years i'm sure would do wonders

Yeah there are two CBRs. NC23 and NC29. Just like the VFR has the NC21 NC24 and NC30 it almost always better to get the latter models.

My above post is only based on reading shit on the internet so i have no idea if any of it is actually true haha.

[rachprice]

All the 400s are good in their own way. I dont quite buy into the whole VFR is the best malarkey. Granted i haven't ridden any. From doing a bit of research i have found:

VFR and RVF: Reliable, good midrange, good handling.
ZXR: Reliable, good top end, stiff suspension but good on a track.
FZR: Not quite as reliable (weak clutch), razor sharp handling (apparently the best of the bunch), decent engine.
GSXR: Reliable, good handling and good engine.
CBR: Reliable, good handling and good engine.

So its whatever fits best i guess!

VFR's sound the sexiest

[Jonno.]

Single sided swing arm

[vtec]

The VFR is a great road bike. Tried racing my one in F3 at Paeroa and got dominated. Think racing it standard fried the regulator, so I had to replace that. And it's got a super high first gear so you can't wheely it and the clutch was on the way out when I bought it. Luckily I picked up a cheap parts bike and stole the clutch out of that. It also has an oil leak right now. So it hasn't been as reliable as my CBR250RR's that I loved so much. But the ride and power delivery is great. Again as people have mentioned the suspension on my nearly 20 year old VFR is a bit soft, but I don't really mind. I have an SV650 with Ohlins shock and revalved resprung front forks to race on. But the VFR could be the ultimate road sports bike for me. Took a pillion on it yesterday, you just have to take it easy. It was her first time as a pillion too but she enjoyed it, apart from her tight jeans hurting in the crouch position.

Can't comment on the other models. But I think it's quite telling that you see mostly VFR400's and CBR250's on the road as remnants of the awesome early nineties that I think says a lot about the reliability of them.

Oh yeah and +1 on the single sided swingarm being gorgeous and it's so easy to turn the bastard.
Here's a vid of my VFR (bog standard) on Hampton Downs.

[ducatilover]

VFR/RVF for me, anytime. VFR has slightly better attention to detail (prettier castings etc)
My CB is a neat 400, not as quick or nice handling, but very....sensible and beige. Comfy and quiet and it's black.

[racefactory]

The VFR is a great road bike. Tried racing my one in F3 at Paeroa and got dominated. Think racing it standard fried the regulator, so I had to replace that. And it's got a super high first gear so you can't wheely it and the clutch was on the way out when I bought it. Luckily I picked up a cheap parts bike and stole the clutch out of that. It also has an oil leak right now. So it hasn't been as reliable as my CBR250RR's that I loved so much. But the ride and power delivery is great. Again as people have mentioned the suspension on my nearly 20 year old VFR is a bit soft, but I don't really mind. I have an SV650 with Ohlins shock and revalved resprung front forks to race on. But the VFR could be the ultimate road sports bike for me. Took a pillion on it yesterday, you just have to take it easy. It was her first time as a pillion too but she enjoyed it, apart from her tight jeans hurting in the crouch position.

Can't comment on the other models. But I think it's quite telling that you see mostly VFR400's and CBR250's on the road as remnants of the awesome early nineties that I think says a lot about the reliability of them.

Oh yeah and +1 on the single sided swingarm being gorgeous and it's so easy to turn the bastard.
Here's a vid of my VFR (bog standard) on Hampton Downs.

This is really all you need to read- they are awesome bikes.

Vtec where is the oil leak coming from on yours? that water pump oil seal?

[Highlander]

We bought a SV400 after test riding a selection of 400, 600 and 650cc bikes. Including the CB400 and VFR 400. The CB felt gutless compared to the SV and the VFR could have been great fun but the SV fit better and didn't feel to be working anywhere near as hard at 100km/hr.

The SV feels a bigger bike than the 400 it is, and easily out performed a number of the other 400's I rode (judged by feel when I was riding it, the hp / torque / top speed stats might paint a different picture but feel is what gets you when riding).
What sold us on the SV was the size and weight since it is primarily a bike for my wife. She felt most of the 600's were too heavy for her in low speed manouvering or stationary on anything other than flat ground.

I ride it to work probably 3 out of 4 days and don't mind it at all.

[scracha]

VFR and RVF: Reliable, good midrange, good handling. Prick to work on, thirsty
ZXR: Reliable, good top end, stiff suspension but good on a track. Easily the gruntiest motor. Not as reliable as the Hondas when raced. I don't care about the USD forks etc cos I thought the front end on them was shit
FZR: Not quite as reliable (weak clutch), razor sharp handling (apparently the best of the bunch), decent engine. Pretty much on the money
GSXR: Reliable, good handling and good engine. Shit, look shit, handle shit, so unreliable there's few of them left
CBR: Reliable, good handling and good engine. Replace reliable with Bombproof. A tad heavy. Have to be kept above 10,000 rpm..

For a roadbike it'd have to be one of the Honda's simply because these bikes are getting on a bit and the build quality of them is exceptional.

[Gibbo89]

We bought a SV400 after test riding a selection of 400, 600 and 650cc bikes. Including the CB400 and VFR 400. The CB felt gutless compared to the SV and the VFR could have been great fun but the SV fit better and didn't feel to be working anywhere near as hard at 100km/hr.

The SV feels a bigger bike than the 400 it is, and easily out performed a number of the other 400's I rode (judged by feel when I was riding it, the hp / torque / top speed stats might paint a different picture but feel is what gets you when riding).
What sold us on the SV was the size and weight since it is primarily a bike for my wife. She felt most of the 600's were too heavy for her in low speed manouvering or stationary on anything other than flat ground.

I ride it to work probably 3 out of 4 days and don't mind it at all.

there are not a lot of sv400's out there but some look pretty sweet. their biggest rival in the twin category i guess would be the monster 400.