400cc sport/road bike

[Gibbo89]

elaborate?...

i think he wants to put his you know what in the you know where

[Smifffy]

i think he wants to put his you know what in the you know where

Oh yeah! None of those big fat after-market jobs either! I want nice tight and factory fresh.

[HenryDorsetCase]

good to know. i kinda like the look of this

http://www.trademe.co.nz/Trade-Me-Mo...-309472728.htm

but i don't like the price tag

and i doooo like the look of the hornet 600

its got Ohlins shocks.... oooh errr.

But yeah, the pick of the 400's is the VFR400 NC30 or the RVF400 NC35. Bring money for a good one. Bring a lot less money for my one in bits. rego on hold though.

[HenryDorsetCase]

in short, yes you will. I have an R1 now but last bike was a 91 cbr600. while i had the 600, i bought a vfr400 as a toy. it was alot of fun, and sounded great, and fuck me was that thing the shit in corners man!, however i very quickly tired of it, in favour of the 600.
for me its like this. get 250. ride, get ful licence, then either
buy 400, get used to it in a month or two, thrash it a couple months more, then get bored, or
buy a 600, have enough to play and have fun, but more power than you can use for a longer time.

I guess what I mean is that a 600 gives you more 'growing room'. I know there are people out there that love the 400s, but to be honest, Id suggest just getting a 600. or a 2 stroke 250 with a gp engine . . . hehehe

but a VFR400 will go 100kph, and so will a CBR600. And thats as fast as anyone goes, right?

[PaddyFZ1]

Ive had both a VFR (NC 21) and a ZXR (H1). Both were great bikes and really taught me a lot aout road craft. The VFR wass a slightly older than the ZXR so not so well equipped, which could be why i was finding the limits of its handling capabilities. The ZXR on the other hand was just amazing. You could thrash it, and due to the handling being alot better than the power availiable, never really reached the extent of its handling capabilities on the road.
As i said earlier these bikes gave me a good grounding in roadcraft, they werent the fastest things out there, but once i really learnt how to ride them well, could keep up with most people on bigger bikes, especially when it came to the corners.
I loved my 400s and would love to get another to have in the shed next to the FZ1

[Urano]

i youtubed a few vfr400 vids, they do have a pretty unique sound

seeing as they are slightly cheaper then the 600/650 range (which most go to), just a bit to think about one day when it is time to upgrade and wondered if you would get sick of a 400 after a while

ya, the hissy sound of the gear driven distribution... seems like a turbine...


i've got a pretty different view on the 400 class, as i see it as an "upgrade" from a 650-1000 cc.
to me, philosophically, 400-500 is the perfect displacement.
i came down to deal with bikes up to 750cc, but i can't at all understand upper classes, and this later run to 1200 cc as a "middle class" seen on the market really get me a bit upset.

my point is: put things on perspective.
you are on a bike, a thing 70cm large and 2 meters long, with a top speed that from a 250cc going up is easily over 160-170 kmh.
with acceleration that, from 250cc up, is easily less than 5 second from none to 100 kmh.
where you are? on a track 'cos you're a pro rider within the wsbk circus? well, then you prolly need a 1000cc bike with at least 150 hp.
otherwise, if, like me, you are moving between than smoky truck, that '89 vw golf, that toyota corolla with 3 children inside, within a city and its 50 kmh limit and an highway with a 130 kmh, then on your 250 cc you are AT LEAST three time faster than the 90% of all the other stuff you can find on your way.
and anyway a lot more agile.

so think ourselves on a 1000cc monster on such a road condition.
what you get? 12 km per liter maximum, a bike that will try to kill you in every turn should it be a little grain on the tarmac or a little water standing on the road, a bike that have costed you a kidney, and that will cost you all your gold tooth at every service stop, that eats tyres like i eats pistachio nuts, a bike weighting more than 200 kg...
with such a bike you can burn the light in two and a half second to get to 100 kmh, you can reach 150km in first gear.... but... you need it?

with a 400cc you are probably a WHOPPING two second slower than that flaming 1000cc, but you are still way faster than all the rest you have around, you easily can reach 20 km/l, it have costed you a third of the other bike, you can ride it more relaxed and turn the wrist with confidence, you have something weightin about 150 kg that turn in the exact moment you think to turn...

there are people here and in the rest of the world saying: "get a 1000cc or you'll get tired soon of a smaller bike".
i'd got a 650cc, even not so powerful at all. it was appropriate. i sometime found myself thinkin "damn, if i had 20 more hp", but i confess you that much frequently tought "damn, if i had 50 kg less".
i'm not the one you have always to wait at the top of the hill, i'm pretty enthusiastic on the bike, but i have the idea that a lot of people need a lot of hp and a lot of cc not to have fun but to feed their ego...
i would have bought a 3/4, but only because the 400 class is completely empty, here in italy.
if there is a beautiful 400cc, modern, techie, smart... i'd buy it with no doubt...

[del-solider]

When it comes to 400's you cant top the v4's like people have said. Both the vfr and rvf are great bikes. Ive had myn for almost a year and still loving it. Sure there are time s when a 600 sports bike tempts me but then i ride the rvf and fall in love all over again

[gatch]

One day I would like a bigger bike, maybe a vtec vfr800 or something similar for touring on, you know doing big trips on. Also for taking the missus for rides, the pillion seat on the vif is not so great.. I did 800km in one day on the nc30 and standing at a healthy 6 feet, I was a bit cramped when I got off for gas etc.

Otherwise I love this bike, even with its badly under sprung forks and poos IRC tires, it still feels good on the road. It has plenty enough power to make anything except the longest of straights exciting. You do need to dance on the gearbox a little to keep it in the good power (above 8k or so), but for me that is part of the fun of riding a bike. And it sounds absolutely gorgeous. I have an ally "yamamoto racing" can on it. Louder than stock but not obnoxious, it lets out a healthy burble at low rpm and really perculates when you are giving it some curry.

Once it's paid off I would like to give it a real birthday. Some sticky rubber and some work on the forks would be absolutely marvelous.

If I have it my way, I will never sell it.

[rachprice]

One day I would like a bigger bike, maybe a vtec vfr800 or something similar for touring on, you know doing big trips on. Also for taking the missus for rides, the pillion seat on the vif is not so great.. I did 800km in one day on the nc30 and standing at a healthy 6 feet, I was a bit cramped when I got off for gas etc.

Otherwise I love this bike, even with its badly under sprung forks and poos IRC tires, it still feels good on the road. It has plenty enough power to make anything except the longest of straights exciting. You do need to dance on the gearbox a little to keep it in the good power (above 8k or so), but for me that is part of the fun of riding a bike. And it sounds absolutely gorgeous. I have an ally "yamamoto racing" can on it. Louder than stock but not obnoxious, it lets out a healthy burble at low rpm and really perculates when you are giving it some curry.

Once it's paid off I would like to give it a real birthday. Some sticky rubber and some work on the forks would be absolutely marvelous.

If I have it my way, I will never sell it.

Mine sounds better than yours :P

[Smifffy]

One day I would like a bigger bike, maybe a vtec vfr800 or something similar for touring on, you know doing big trips on.

Otherwise I love this bike, even with its badly under sprung forks and poos IRC tires, it still feels good on the road.

Once it's paid off I would like to give it a real birthday. Some sticky rubber and some work on the forks would be absolutely marvelous.

If I have it my way, I will never sell it.

Right on! Keep it if you can, nostalgia is a bitch, I'd wager most of us would still like to own the bikes we rode and loved earlier on. Sometimes life gets in the way.

[gatch]

Mine sounds better than yours :P

You ride yours like a girl.

Right on! Keep it if you can, nostalgia is a bitch, I'd wager most of us would still like to own the bikes we rode and loved earlier on. Sometimes life gets in the way.

Life can fuck off, I want my bikes haha.

[tigertim20]

ya, the hissy sound of the gear driven distribution... seems like a turbine...


i've got a pretty different view on the 400 class, as i see it as an "upgrade" from a 650-1000 cc.
to me, philosophically, 400-500 is the perfect displacement.
i came down to deal with bikes up to 750cc, but i can't at all understand upper classes, and this later run to 1200 cc as a "middle class" seen on the market really get me a bit upset.

my point is: put things on perspective.
you are on a bike, a thing 70cm large and 2 meters long, with a top speed that from a 250cc going up is easily over 160-170 kmh.
with acceleration that, from 250cc up, is easily less than 5 second from none to 100 kmh.
where you are? on a track 'cos you're a pro rider within the wsbk circus? well, then you prolly need a 1000cc bike with at least 150 hp.
otherwise, if, like me, you are moving between than smoky truck, that '89 vw golf, that toyota corolla with 3 children inside, within a city and its 50 kmh limit and an highway with a 130 kmh, then on your 250 cc you are AT LEAST three time faster than the 90% of all the other stuff you can find on your way.
and anyway a lot more agile.

so think ourselves on a 1000cc monster on such a road condition.
what you get? 12 km per liter maximum, a bike that will try to kill you in every turn should it be a little grain on the tarmac or a little water standing on the road, a bike that have costed you a kidney, and that will cost you all your gold tooth at every service stop, that eats tyres like i eats pistachio nuts, a bike weighting more than 200 kg...
with such a bike you can burn the light in two and a half second to get to 100 kmh, you can reach 150km in first gear.... but... you need it?

with a 400cc you are probably a WHOPPING two second slower than that flaming 1000cc, but you are still way faster than all the rest you have around, you easily can reach 20 km/l, it have costed you a third of the other bike, you can ride it more relaxed and turn the wrist with confidence, you have something weightin about 150 kg that turn in the exact moment you think to turn...

there are people here and in the rest of the world saying: "get a 1000cc or you'll get tired soon of a smaller bike".
i'd got a 650cc, even not so powerful at all. it was appropriate. i sometime found myself thinkin "damn, if i had 20 more hp", but i confess you that much frequently tought "damn, if i had 50 kg less".
i'm not the one you have always to wait at the top of the hill, i'm pretty enthusiastic on the bike, but i have the idea that a lot of people need a lot of hp and a lot of cc not to have fun but to feed their ego...
i would have bought a 3/4, but only because the 400 class is completely empty, here in italy.
if there is a beautiful 400cc, modern, techie, smart... i'd buy it with no doubt...

you clearly have little or no understanding of thousand cc bikes!!, I average 21km a litre. Ive not had worse than 16.5km a litre and thats when I was raping it. No bike, regardless of power will try to kill you. The only danger is one that belies every bike, and that is a rider, with more balls than skills, having an inability to control the urge to wring the throttle.

as for the whole 'but do you need it' in relation to litre bikes, my response is this.
you don't NEED a blow job, but its still bloody nice to get one innit?

[avgas]

as for the whole 'but do you need it' in relation to litre bikes, my response is this.
you don't NEED a blow job, but its still bloody nice to get one innit?

Yeah but its more fun fucking a 17 year old virgin, than a pornstar

As for bikes not trying to kill you. Your clearly riding that R1 wrong. My old FZ1 would attempt it on a monthly basis.
20v DRIFT FTW!

[sosman]

If yr an A to B type rider! then a 600/650cc would be a better option, you over take at 100kph in top gear, you have enough power for two up riding etc.

I would suggest a getting a 4hundy if you were keen on learning how to ride fast!!!
before moving up cause there is a huge power difference between the 4hundy & 6hundys

[scracha]

Yeah but its more fun fucking a 17 year old virgin, than a pornstar

Surely the most debatable comment in this thread?