96ish Honda CBR600 or VFR400 NC30?

[hornetmike]

Been out today looking for new bike, had my mind set on CBR600F but all the ones i looked at locally where hanging. I went to shop in Bristol and they had VFR 400 '91' it looked the nuts went away and read the reviews everyone loves them, but they are old and only 60ish BHP. Now I am thinking of buying one, what do you all think , would you own one over a CBR600 ?
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87 Honda CG 125 - 97 ER5 - SR 50 -81 Z250- 96 CBR 600 F- 94 GPX600R 88- GPX 400R- 87 GS 125 - 2006 Honda CB600F- 2003 ER5 - Honda CBF 1000 2009 - Honda CBR 600 RR 2011
Current BMW R1200GS 2010

[tzr]

No, I'm fucking sick of my 400.
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Previous: An almost immaculate FZR400 '86 - Current: A sorry looking FZR400

[Im-a-Ridah]

If you are an average or above weight or anything above 5'10 take the CBR600f. It's also more powerful and the weight isn't much different IIRC. They are good bikes and lots of people really like them, but for most riders the 600 is going to be by far the better choice.

[TAX MY BRAIN]

Depends on where you ride if you mostly do A road motorway and long journeys take the 600,

The little 400 will put a bigger grin on ya face riding round the twisty B roads and short journeys

take um both out if the seller will let you and see which one you like best

400 all the way for me
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i also ride the local bike.............she's like a moped great fun to ride as long as your friends dont see you !!

[Charlie]

The 400 will be more fun on small roads because you really thrash it you should be able to keep up with 600 easily in the twisties if your a half decent rider. I really enjoy riding my 250 hard it is great fun, keeping it about 10,000 rmp in every gear as your rip round country lanes. I am sure some people on here will back me up in saying that sometimes smaller is more fun. (I sound like I am preaching about small cocks, whoops).

But yeah if you going to do motorway work a lot, it might be worth getting the 600.
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Past: Honda x8rs, Honda City fly, Honda Hornet 250, Honda VFR750, Yamaha xt600e.
Current: Honda CBR929RR & Yamaha XT660Z Tenere

[TAX MY BRAIN]

[D O G]

[McGee]
400's are gay, get the 600.
[/McGee]

[Blau Zedong]

CBR600's are pretty much bombproof, you should have no trouble finding a decent one. NC30's have had their day (they had it about ten years ago) and most now have a history of young rider abuse and maintainance with the largest hammer available. Too much money for too little bike IMHO, the CBR will do everything better apart from looks.
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18:54:48 Rob Fzs: jews don't give away stuff for free

18:54:59 Rob Fzs: unless its their clothes/ hair/ golden teeth

[Knacker]

600 all day long ,more power, more comfy.

No brainer imho

Rode a 400 and you have to wring it silly to get it to go.
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Current: Gsxr 600 Srad - GS125 - DT125
Previous: K1 GSXR 1000

[Itchy]

gotta be the CBR, as VFR400s are all old and shagged, exept maybe the few in Darwen at performance which all have less than 10K on them.

the 35% extra power of the CBR more than makes up for the extra 20 kilos it lugs around...

Also servicing parts and avalibility are alot better for the CBR , there are 1000s of items on ebay , there are less VFR parts out there.
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Spain 2008France 2007Big one 2009 We all die. The goal isn't to live forever, the goal is to create something that will. In the end, your life will flash before your eyes. Make sure it is worth watching.

[craigs23]

Head says CBR, heart says VFR.

Finding a decent NC30 is harder than finding a decent CBR. On first glance, it does seem easier to get CBR parts; that's completely true. But know where to shop and who to ask, and there's not many parts for an NC30 that you can't still get hold of. Both bikes are about the same in terms of reliability - i.e. pretty much bullet proof engines (if you're not a wheelie merchant on the NC that is), marred by the occasional regulator/rectifier glitch.

There's nothing quite like mercilessly thrashing the nuts off a small bike, using pretty much all of its got to offer, but not actually (well relatively in bike terms) going that fast. You need to think a lot more about your riding to make decent progress, and the last time I checked, 120mph was double the national speed limit anyway.

The 400 makes 100mph feel like 140. On my 600, 100mph feels like I haven't switched the cruise control off. Good for my licence, good for my health, good to feel that I'm actually making the difference to the bike when cracking on, rather that feeling like the weaker component in the bike's setup. In all areas, the 600 runs rings around the aged 400, but I stopped comparing spec sheets years ago, preferring to rely on how a bike makes me feel and how much fun I have, or the experiences it has given me.

I guess it depends what you want really. My NC won't be as good on a daily commute or a fast rideout with my friends, or a rideout over a distance more than 120miles or so. It won't take a passenger or luggage as comfortably and its mirrors or weather protection are sorely lacking. As are its pitiful headlamps.

If I had to sell one of my bikes for whatever reason though, without a moment's hesitation, it would be the CBR. The VFR, despite its apparent flaws, means a lot more to me. As did my first one a few years ago and the RVF that replaced it.

[hornetmike]

The VFR is so good looking and reviews say its a classic, nut maybe its too old to live in my garden and have and my halfords tools look after it.

I know the CBR runs rings round VFR but I don't really ride that fast speed wise the ER-5 is ok for me, GAY i know, but true.

But I do like goinng for long ride Bristol to Cornwall then filtering past all the traffic when i get there priceless, going to ride a 2001 CBR and a NC30 tomorrow.

I do really like the VFR its like my mk1 golf gti.
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87 Honda CG 125 - 97 ER5 - SR 50 -81 Z250- 96 CBR 600 F- 94 GPX600R 88- GPX 400R- 87 GS 125 - 2006 Honda CB600F- 2003 ER5 - Honda CBF 1000 2009 - Honda CBR 600 RR 2011
Current BMW R1200GS 2010

[TUBZ69]

cbr wont run rings round the 400, quite the opposite ( rider skill taken into consideration obviously) but the 600 is a quicker bike.
id have the 400 personally. ive comuted on a RVF for a yr, no problems. yea there revy but nuthin to cry about
T
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those who risk nothing, become nothing, achieve nothing....
c90 rvf 400, vfr 400, gpz 500, Gsxr 750, R1, Zx6r....

[mr jamez]

If you buy an average NC30 factor in the cost of things like head bearings, fork rebuild, brake overhaul, shock rebuild/replacement and a full service. Great bikes but sadly they are generaly owned by people who treat them like crap. The really nice ones go for a bit much, RVF's go for an even sillier amount.

Still glad I owned one for a little while though, good times
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NSR 125F > BROS 400 > NC30 > BROS 400 > Trumpet S4 > '97 VFR 750

[damz]

i was in a similar position, had quite a bit of money to spend on a bike after passing my test, insurance was a big influenced in my decision but i could afford to get raped for a year or two.

anyway was looking around a few dealers and on the net for CBR600, 91 onwards which is the same model as the 96 (might had been 93 onwards cant remember). anyway they seemed like a gd first bike, reliable, good all rounder but quite dated.

one day went into a dealers to look at cbr's and found an NC35 tucked away in the corner of the showroom and fell in love straight away. the 400's in those days seemed leaps and bounds ahead of the 600's, probobly because the 400 was for the home market and 600 for the export market.

granted i have the 35 and not the 30 but they are pretty similar, been riding for a year now on it and still puts a grin on my face, still has more than enough power for urban area's, A roads against other bikes will come down to rider skill really, i was riding with a skilled rider on a k7 750 and i was completely demolished, rode against a fairweather rider on a sv650 and the gap wasnt that big at all.

also 400 dont depreciate as much as the 600's, get lots of wd40 and f365 and the weather proofing isnt as much as a problem.

i'd go for a 400 for a while, you can always get a bigger bike after
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Current Bikes RVF400 - 94
Cars: RX7 FD, Eunos Roadster
Former Bikes: FZR 250R 89, ZX7R 98

[craigs23]

[mentali-juan]

Without a doubt a cbr 600.
After one myself for a commuter(a 95>99model)
Takes abuse all day long.
Common as muck.
A do it all bike.
Wanted an nc30 instead of a zxr400 15years ago,nice bike but you will get bored with it.
If you want to travel with luggage and in relative comfort then the cbr will probably do it better with less fuss then the nc IMO.
Depends on what you want to use the bike for.
400,s are good fun though.
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Charlie dont surf!
Nemo me impune lacessit

[Seb]

[aaron0288]

[mentali-juan]

If you have your heart set on a 4, I got my 400,good few years ago now but Bats motorcycles(london) used to have some decent ones and seastar bike had some good grey imports.
I got mine from seastar bikes(downham market) before they moved to newton flotman.
My mate got his from a grey importer in bristol,forgot there name now.
Worth a look if they are still going.
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Charlie dont surf!
Nemo me impune lacessit

[hornetmike]

Cheers for the advice everyone I rode a 53 CBR600 today, it was a different world of biking to the er-5 was mostly worried about riding it but it was fast and smooth and a bit easier on motorway. going to ride this , this week make mind up

https://i482.photobucket.com/albums/rr182/miketovey/482-12275281781.jpg
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87 Honda CG 125 - 97 ER5 - SR 50 -81 Z250- 96 CBR 600 F- 94 GPX600R 88- GPX 400R- 87 GS 125 - 2006 Honda CB600F- 2003 ER5 - Honda CBF 1000 2009 - Honda CBR 600 RR 2011
Current BMW R1200GS 2010

[ms51ves3]

[TUG]

[aaron0288]

Just out of interest Mike, how much are they asking for the VFR?
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Past bikes - 1991 NC30 - 1991 Bandit 400 - 1989 CBR400 NC23 - 1993 NC30 - 1991 ZXR400 L1 - 1993 NC30 - 2003 CBR600RR3 - 2003 Ducati 900SS - 2000 SP1 - 2013 899 Panigale
Current bikes - 2013 Street Triple R + 2006 R6 + 2003 SV1000S

[Cue_147]