CB400 Super Four

[xXGIBBOXx]

I really liked my vt250, still the bike I've owned the longest, but they were a bit different back then...

Nice ride , that's some old school goodness right there !

[actungbaby]

Dude u can get brand new cbr 250. Or as u said kawasaki 300.
u going keep it buy new.
Back in the day. Was going buy.
Second hand cb 400 twin.
dad whouldint go sign for loan.
Was brassed of so saved 1/3
Depoist .and brought new bike
silver cb 400 twin, so glad,dad
did what he did, brought new
cbx 400 four what nice bike.
So smooth. Why buy other persons problems.
As for bike no way traded that in paid 8000 .more like 3000, and
quick wash out back.
They use finance as carrot to
over charge on list price,
Go to bank get bank loan, save few grand abd get new bike.
Feck eho wants 8 year old bike.

[ducatilover]

Buy a cheaper early 90's CB400 SuperFour, you will love it to bits
I had one and it was one of the creamiest motors I have come across.
Happy to pootle along in any gear, stopped well too. Nothing ever went wrong with it and it was a tatty example I picked up for $1300...
It looked gorgeous and does everything the later model ones do, but less than half the price.

The pre-vtec motors have no weak spots/common problems. They're brilliant little bikes
I'd recommend one over a Hornet because (I love Hornets as people may have noticed):
Easier to ride, more torque and power.
Looks prettier.
Normal size tyres
Also very easy to source parts
Much nicer on the open road (less revs)
Better brakes
Most have been owned by beige people and not thrashed.

They'll do well past 100,000km with normal servicing.
Mine was around 80km I think and it had the valves done at 50k, they were still in spec.


Dooooooo iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiit

[MarkH]

Holy crap, $8k for a 400, my RF900 was quite a bit cheaper! I guess that there is a premium to pay for LAMS bikes that those not on a full license have no choice but to pay.
You gotta wonder what price you could negotiate the dealer down to?

[FJRider]

I see so many GNs on Trademe. Is anyone actually still buying them?

YOU did ... There may be somebody even dumber (or more desperate for wheels) that may be interested.

And i probably shouldn't buy another 250 anyway either. But it looks nice and it even has a pack rack already. And it might not be too expensive...

Unless you're planning on keeping the GN's replacement for a very long time ... a bigger and older bike would be a better idea. Worry less about age/appearence ... worry more about Km's traveled. Get used to the extra power and weight the extra cc's give. And as the "Learning experience" may involve the odd mishap ... the odd dent or scratch won't seem as much like a big deal. (Because it is not)

[Grashopper]

I see so many GNs on Trademe. Is anyone actually still buying them?

YOU did ...

You got me there. Ok so, note to self: If you want a buyer for the GN look for totally clueless learner. Gotcha

Unless you're planning on keeping the GN's replacement for a very long time ... a bigger and older bike would be a better idea. Worry less about age/appearence ... worry more about Km's traveled. Get used to the extra power and weight the extra cc's give. And as the "Learning experience" may involve the odd mishap ... the odd dent or scratch won't seem as much like a big deal. (Because it is not)

Actually had my eye on a little 1984 Honda 400 GL last week. Thought it looked cool. Didn't take me long to notice that it looked a lot like my GN, just had more power... Strange, thought I never really liked how my GN looked. Always wanted something sportier and usually when I look for bikes it is for something that is newer and more flash. Will really be interesting what I will come up with next. But I find 400 cc quite a good amount of power for my next bike and everything I had a look at that had more power was either not Lams, had a too high seat height or was to expensive (i.e. new...) anyway.
Really depends on the bike if I want to keep it for longer. I really like the GN as it handles well, but would like a wee bit more power. I also feel I should get something different just because I want to ride something else but the GN sometime. And as I don't like to ride someone elses bikes so will need to get myself a new bike sometime.

[nerrrd]

Strange, thought I never really liked how my GN looked. Always wanted something sportier and usually when I look for bikes it is for something that is newer and more flash... I really like the GN as it handles well, but would like a wee bit more power... I also feel I should get something different just because I want to ride something else but the GN sometime.

That all sounds very familiar to how I felt about my GN back in the day, so I traded it in on a brand new honda cb550f integra on hire purchase...6 months or so later I sold it 'cos it was too big a step up for me (hilariously these are apparently LAMS approved now, but at the time I didn't know what I was doing...still on a LAMS bike now so maybe in another 30 years or so I'll get the hang of it) so don't do that. Was a beautiful bike, though, I was proud to own it while I did.

[Grashopper]

That all sounds very familiar to how I felt about my GN back in the day, so I traded it in on a brand new honda cb550f integra on hire purchase...6 months or so later I sold it 'cos it was too big a step up for me (hilariously these are apparently LAMS approved now, but at the time I didn't know what I was doing...still on a LAMS bike now so maybe in another 30 years or so I'll get the hang of it) so don't do that. Was a beautiful bike, though, I was proud to own it while I did.

So what did you get after you sold the CB550F again? I assume it wasn't the BMW yet?

[nerrrd]

So what did you get after you sold the CB550F again? I assume it wasn't the BMW yet?

No, no way I could have afforded that at the time; had a mini for about a year thanks to my folks, then got me one of these (only mine was a luverly sky blue colour), a patriotically named NZ250. Probably similar to that 'inazuma' suzuki brought in recently?

I think from memory it went GP125, GN250, CB550F /car/ NZ250, VT250 /car/ GPX250, F650... so LOTS of 250s.

[Grashopper]

I think from memory it went GP125, GN250, CB550F /car/ NZ250, VT250 /car/ GPX250, F650... so LOTS of 250s.

I really liked my vt250, still the bike I've owned the longest, but they were a bit different back then...

So did you like the VT250 most from all of those bikes? There's a few on trademe and they are usually relatively cheap compared to the vtr and the hornet, but people hardly seem to talk about them.

[ducatilover]

So did you like the VT250 most from all of those bikes? There's a few on trademe and they are usually relatively cheap compared to the vtr and the hornet, but people hardly seem to talk about them.

Here's a basic run down on VTs
VT250F/FN/N/XELVIS, 90's models: good little bikes, may develop cam chain rattle but any decent mechanic can take the tensioners out and sort it

VT250j/k Spada, the best VT made, 40hp motor. Also had cam chain rattles, but a solid everything else, only made in 88-89. I did 130,000km on mine.

Early VT250, block external oil feeds to the head, not so sexy quality bottom end bearings in the motor, hydro clutch which seems to be hard to get parts for but if one has a little brain power you can get around it, also develop cam chain rattles, also a tensioner issue...

VTZ250, 2nd best VT series from the era, 6 speed box, less power than the Spada, consider it a beige version of the Spada that weighs a tiny bit more, same tensioner issues....

VTR250 (newer shape, 97 onwards) generally solid little buggers, early ones had no tachometer, but you don't exactly need one anyway, only have a 5 speed gearbox and around 30hp. Have not done a tensioner fix on one of those yet

[Grashopper]

Here's a basic run down on VTs

Awesome. Thanks very much

So many decisions, and that is just the bottom of the iceberg Having my eye on a hornet now, but they are always at inconvenient locations, so might have to wait until something comes up that's a bit closer to home. Hm, and there was a nice VTR in New Plymouth, and maybe I should check if that CB-1 is on the LAMS list and...Is anyone else spending all of their spare time looking at bikes? I don't even want to sell mine, but there is room in the garage for two, I'm sure.

[nerrrd]

So did you like the VT250 most from all of those bikes? There's a few on trademe and they are usually relatively cheap compared to the vtr and the hornet, but people hardly seem to talk about them.

Um better to listen to someone who actually knows what they're talking about (ie ducatilover see above ) but from my X-treme layman's point of view I liked the VT250 best, then the GPX, but I didn't like the gearbox on mine (seemed really notchy) and I was old by that stage and wanted something a bit more upright.

I've got a love/hate thing going with the F650CS, when I'm on the open road I love it (plenty of grunt for me, scoots along, will take off with a twist of the throttle in fourth or fifth, always feels stable and sure-footed), around town I hate it (surges, hesitates and generally feels rough as guts, occasionally cuts out for no reason, could just be my ham-fisted throttle control I guess.)

[quickbuck]

That looks like a baby version of my VF.

Yup... It Is.

[Grashopper]

Looks like it's vtr or hornet now for me.