two midrange commuters, would I notice a difference?

[Tristan.]

Another what bike thread I'm afraid, anyway I'll set the scene.

A2 is booked for a couple of weeks away, I've been looking at the Honda CB twin series, the CB500 specifically.

Anyway, I could afford a clean one, if I run my finances right to the wire, or risk a slightly tatty one, and keep back enough to probably clean it up, assuming nothing major goes.

I tried looking for the 400 twin on eBay the other day, and noticed that they were still producing the 400/four in the early nineties, I could afford a nice one of them and have plently left over for gear and pimpage.

So my question is thusly, how much of a difference would I notice between the 500/twin and the 400/four, and would there even be that much of a point upgrading from my trusty CG to a 400/four if I decide to go for that?

Cheers.

[mattgirv]

Well the CB500 is a nice bike. It does seem to keep a fairly decent price but obviously that means when you buy it you usually end up spending more than you would with the 400/4's.

You have a few choices, you can get the CB500. Regulator/Rectifier problems are common on these as they are with the 400/4's.

I presume when you say 400/4 you mean the CB-1 and the Superfour.

The Superfours are usually pretty good condition wise, I believe they were still produced until around 1998 actually. The CB-1 is hit and miss for sure. They are a fantastic bike and could easily hold their own against a CB500 but a lot have been mistreated and badly maintained.

You could easily pick up a well looked after CB-1 for under £1000, and you could also easily get a bit of a ratty bike for under £500. As with the CB500 the Regulator/Rectifier is the weakest link in the chain. Obviously given their age it would be better to find one that has been used regularly throughout its lifetime.

Top end you are looking at about 120mph but with that being at around 12,000rpm it isn't somewhere you want to hang around all day. Regardless it will easily cruise at 80/90mph with no problems. The tank range isn't all that great, I can only get about 100 miles out of a tank to run it dry. Though that is pretty crap, as long as you don't stray too far from a petrol station you will be good.

As for whether there being a point of upgrading from your CG, there most certainly is. The bike is just as capable as any other, it is more down to how you ride it than the specifications of it.

[mr jamez]

I had a go on a CB500, prefered the Honda bros which come in 400cc and 650cc guises, just incase you hadn't considered them.
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NSR 125F > BROS 400 > NC30 > BROS 400 > Trumpet S4 > '97 VFR 750

[Tristan.]

Cheers for the detailed rundown Matt, aye the superfour is the 400/four I was referring too, did'nt know it was still being produced right up to '98

the bros is indeed another option, though they seem more hard to come by than the 500/twin and the Superfour, I'm considering other commuter types as well, but since I'm planning on keeping it as a hack when I get something fun, the honda sticker is swaying me a fair bit.

and yeah, upgrading from the CG is definate now I think about it, just something I was musing this morning, sitting at 60 odd "would I really be going faster if I could?" but it would be nice not having to worry about people putting their foot down as I overtake, plus the fact I got accepted at Plymouth uni, 6 hours on motorways on a cg, no thanks.

[mattgirv]

I'd suggest looking at bikes such as the Honda CB-1, Bros (as mentioned) and the NTV650.

All can be had cheap, parts are easily available mostly (obviously nearly all second hand given the age of these bikes) and are reliable.

The Superfour is a good bike and I wouldn't like to disuade you, but the costs you will incur if you drop it won't be pretty, especially compared to the others. They do look pretty darn spiffy though

Basically you have the old 400/4, not a bad bike by any means. I believe it was made until the 80s'ish. The CB-1 was an updated version of this bike, brought in around 89. It was semi-based upon the old 400/4 and I think slightly ahead of its time. It didn't really sell all that well in the USA, but gained a bit of a following in Japan and some parts of Europe. It was imported over here in the droves, as were a few other non-UK produced bikes. They ceased production in around 1991. The CB400SF (Superfour) was brought in afterwards, and is a different engine altogether.

There are a ton of aftermarket parts for the CB400SF, if you are that way inclined.

None of these bikes are bad choices, though for each bike you will no doubt run into some real shitters. Just keep your eyes peeled for a bargain (should be easy with the CB-1/Bros/NTV650 for sure) and make sure its decent beforehand and you will no doubt enjoy yourself immensely when you do pass.

[Tristan.]

NTV 650 you say

hmmm

Bought my cg without looking at it beforehand, no trouble with it so far, how lucky do I feel.

[stinkwheel]

The super four is an excellent little bike, they go very well and they are tough little buggers. They crash so well it can actually be something of a problem because they can go down hard and not show it, makes buying second hand a wee bit trickier, you need to give them a thorough check out.

I wouldn't have thought there would be much to choose between the CB500 and a superfour, they are both very capable and robust motorcycles and either would be an excellent choice for a first 'big' bike.

If anything, youre choice would be best dictated by size because the CB500 is a bigger motorcycle overall.

My advice would be to keep an open mind, either would be a good choice so keep your eyes peeled and look for whichever you can find that gives the best balance of condition and price.

Look for one being sold by a 40 something bloke who bought a bike to rekindle his youth then hardly ever used it. You see older ones out there with ludicrously low mileages that have been kept garaged all their life and are wheeled out every year for a trip to the garage for a service and an MOT. There's a guy in my town like that. His CB500 did 400 miles last year, he's spent more time polishing it than riding it.

They are few and far between but they are out there, their age dictates a low price but they have done nothing. My KLE500 was a classic example. It covered 7k miles in 14 years, still had the original front tyre on it!
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“Rule one: Always stick around for one more drink. That's when things happen. That's when you find out everything you want to know.”
I did the 2010 Round Britain Rally on my 350 Bullet. 89 landmarks, 3 months, 9,500 miles.

[Tristan.]

[Kal]

I'd go CB500 if I wasnt so excitable on the throttle. I loved riding Dukans

Parts are very easy to get hold of. Dukan picked his up for an obscenely low amount of money. Good examples crop up in the #600-#700 range.
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Kal...
I Like To Hoon It Hoon It I Like To Hoon It Hoon It I Like To Hoon It Hoon It Ya Like To (HOON IT!).
1984 GB250 Clubman,1983 CB250N Superdream, 1999 GPZ500S

[Tristan.]

Ooh that was fun, got an NTV650 winking at me from the driveway, blimey the peak district is rather good isn't it?

Anyone got a spare brake lever for one, or a honda bros should probably fit, not that I dropped it or owt It err snapped off in me hand.