Choice on 400cc motorbike?

**mark247** · 4th August 2008, 17:59

Originally Posted by xerxesdaphat

That would be pretty cool to read

I suppose if I were buying one, my problem would be, if they're anything like the GSXR250 (and one would assume so, given the dearth of them on the roads today), anecdotally at least, they don't seem to have stood up to the decades of squid abuse quite so well as the ZXR, VFR, CBR et al. It seems every other week there's somebody on here with one of the old small GSXR variety complaining about no compression, bent valves, bottom end gone missing etc.

S'all intarweb stories of course, but there seems to be a hell of a lot of gorgeous VFRs blasting up and down Auckland roads having a fine time.

This article is from the June 1994 edition of the Fast Bikes mag. I found I actually have two articles like this, this one, and one from September 1992 as well. But for now i can only be bothered scanning one =P

If you are really interested I might find the time tomorrow to scan the other.

This article starts by saying "The 250/400 division is teh most exciting and dynamic class in motor-cycling. It's also affordable. CBR400RR v GSXR400R v ZXR400 v FZR400 v RF400 v VFR400 v NSR400R v RGV250 v TZR250 (and one dead ZZR)

**mark247** · 4th August 2008, 18:05

more of article....

**mark247** · 4th August 2008, 18:08

even more of article...

**motorbyclist** · 5th August 2008, 00:43

Originally Posted by mark247

Iv got an old bike mag from when all the 400cc 4cyl were new back in 1992 and it has a big review comparing them all. It said the that gsxr400 absolutely cleaned up in the corners.( if i remember correctly )

If you would like to read it I could scan it up and post it on here.

cheers for those scans - i love reading the reviews of older bikes from when they were new

i wasn't talking corners as i haven't ridden one, my comment was due to shocking reliability/mechanical disasters

Originally Posted by bismarck

Why is that? Any reasons for that?

A: my previous ownership of a gsxr250 taught me a few things, one of which was never to buy a gsxr (of that age) and to research bikes before buying. very expensive lesson learnt

B: only ever seen one gsxr400 that was still running, and that was in a 250 chassis with untold amounts of problems/work.

i'm not saying they had poor performance, just that they are not a bike worth buying if you want something reliable

**lostinflyz** · 5th August 2008, 15:35

cheers for the post up. what they write up and the figures showing speeds and cornering certainly dont really match up what so ever. Kinda goes to show that everyones different and what feels good may not be quick. Not that thats always a bad thing.

most the gsxr400's are racing now i think. there are a number still at f3 meets. not bad reliability really but just no spares (wrecked) about.

**SVboy** · 6th August 2008, 10:52

I have spent some big $$ on my gsxr400r, on regular maintainence and consumables. Reliability has not been an issue, and it handles real well for a 91 bike. ANY bike that has been thrashed and not maintained will be a liability.

**motorbyclist** · 6th August 2008, 17:54

on my '89 gsxr250 with less than 30000km on the clock, one of the more amusing things to go wrong was the spline shearing off the front sprocket shaft when i went to take off from a set of lights. being something that should never happen, you'd think the drive shaft should be a bit harder than the sprocket wouldn't you? that and numerous other problems completely put me off the older gsxr models

only issue i've had with the nc30 was a vacuum hose coming loose off the no.3 carby, likely due to the previous owners being the roughest fucking cunts to ever pick up a screwdriver... actually it may have been a chisel and hammer looking at some of their work

**lostinflyz** · 6th August 2008, 21:34

Originally Posted by motorbyclist

on my '89 gsxr250 with less than 30000km on the clock, one of the more amusing things to go wrong was the spline shearing off the front sprocket shaft when i went to take off from a set of lights. being something that should never happen, you'd think the drive shaft should be a bit harder than the sprocket wouldn't you? that and numerous other problems completely put me off the older gsxr models

only issue i've had with the nc30 was a vacuum hose coming loose off the no.3 carby, likely due to the previous owners being the roughest fucking cunts to ever pick up a screwdriver... actually it may have been a chisel and hammer looking at some of their work

sounds like the person who did the work on my first nc30 race bike. Ahh a carby jets, there obviously removed using a hacksaw. But that being said my gentle nature is not usually complimented either.

arent the hoses on the carbies all just breather hoses (not vacuum). Pretty certain i took them all outta my bikes. But mayb i missed something.

The gsxr sounds like it was a fucked sprocket that would have been loose on the spline that fucked it more than likely as the safety factor incorportated on the spline shaft would be huge.

**motorbyclist** · 6th August 2008, 23:41

Originally Posted by lostinflyz

arent the hoses on the carbies all just breather hoses (not vacuum). Pretty certain i took them all outta my bikes. But mayb i missed something.

vacuum for diaphragm on carbies? one of the rare times i let the mechanic (who raced an nc30 so knew what he was doing) have a crack at it as i wasn't game enough to attempt balancing 4 carbies, so only got the 2nd hand info

Originally Posted by lostinflyz

The gsxr sounds like it was a fucked sprocket that would have been loose on the spline that fucked it more than likely as the safety factor incorportated on the spline shaft would be huge.

possible, you would think so... still no excuse for bent gear selector fork among other failures (put it in fith one day and found it was neutral. every few selections of 5th from then on would give a neutral gear with the sound of dogs on the synchro rattling away - mind you that was years ago before i looked at gearboxes so wasn't the one to diagnose it)

**lostinflyz** · 7th August 2008, 00:17

hmm dunno about the vacuum on the diaphrams. anyway.

fair nuf on the gear selector fork. i think my nc21 has got a slight one. hooks alot of false neutrals up top of the box. just trying to match my alfa i guess.