How good is a FT400?

[Pwalo]

I actually had one for a few month's when my dear wife gave me permission to resume riding. They're ok as a commuter (and pretty cheap to run), but I found mine struggled at much above 110ks.

Other than that it was just a like a single cylinder UJM of the '80's. It looked ok'ish in a retro sort of way, but after riding it for a while my replacement GS500 felt like a real sports bike.

[XF650]

I had both the FT400 & FT500 version, great gravel bikes.
There were actually heaps of both versions sold in NZ but not many left on the road now. Many of the motors ended up in off road karts.
Their main fault was the starter idler assembly but there is a fix for this.
There was even a race class for them in the USA.

[Banditbandit]

A mate of mine is looking at a Honda FT400 as his first road bike, can't remember what year it is but it's in the 80's.

Anybody had any experience with them? Are they lemons? Any quircks/weakness's?

Any advice accepted.

(And no, it's NOT for me!)

I had one from 1986 to 1999 - (it was my daily transport) I did around 170,000ks on it. They're a very good bike. Completely reliable. Mine was bog standard and I had no trouble with it ('cept it biffed me twice) Rode mine all over the North Island and from Wellington to Chch a couple of times ... Mine would sit on 130 klicks all day every day (and frequently did) .. surprised a lot of big bikes - especially if the rider's not prepared to sit on 130 klicks ... Once did Napier to Houghton Bay in Wellington on my FT in three hours flat (oh ... hang about ... you're a cop ... SORRY) ..

They're better than the 500s as the stroke is shorter (strange, you'd think they'd increase the bore, but no, Mr Honda changed the stroke)

Run a one-tooth smaller cog on the back and a 750 drive chain (the torque ripped the standard chain in about half the time it should have) .. I also put lower and straighter bars on it as with the standard ones it felt like the front end was doing something strange by itself. They do tend to break speedo cables (drives off the front wheel) ... and the exhaust has a black cosmetic sleeve around an inner pipe - the heat will burn out the inner pipe just in the front of the headers, then burn through the cosmetic sleeve - very loud and a bit quicker .. but expensive to replace ..

People say they have starter motor problems. Yes and no. On the outside of the starter motor underneath by the solenoid (from memory) is a small plate. Taking it off exposes contacts. If these are reguarly cleaned it will cause no problems at all ... if they are dirty it sometimes won't start ..

I'd highly recommend them as a good learner bike and as daily transport ...

[Banditbandit]

I had both the FT400 & FT500 version, great gravel bikes.
There were actually heaps of both versions sold in NZ but not many left on the road now. Many of the motors ended up in off road karts.
Their main fault was the starter idler assembly but there is a fix for this.
There was even a race class for them in the USA.

Yeah .. I lived on a shingle road .. and could easily get to 130 klicks on the shingle ..

As I understand it, the 500s were built as an export only bike and the 400s for the Jap domestic market .. but they didn't sell in Japan .. so the 400s were exported to Aussie and Godzone .. I don't think you can get the 400s anywhere else ...

And I rode a 500 a couple of times .. I was surprised ... but that experience explained why the press called it one of the biggest lemons .. the 400s are much better .. being a shorter stroke ...

[carver]

a cool bike no doubt about that!