An old 80s-90s 400 sports bike for London

[koolio]

Don't ask me why I've always had an itch for an old 400 sports bike. Never had one and I'm thinking I'd like to follow my heart. I'll be primarily using it in and around London.

So my list of interest so far is:

VFR 400 NC 30
1989 FZR 400
1989 ZXR 400

Am I crazy for desiring this? I imagine it could be the most impractical for riding around a city... I'm told I'll be slipping the clutch a lot.. Any thoughts?

I'm 5'11" not sure if this is an acceptable height for the little thing.

[Vracktal]

VFR has a quite high first gear so in stop-start traffic it can be a pain on the wrists. Height-wise, you should be allright at 5'11, I'm 6'4" and managed to do ~30 miles on a friends VFR400 NC30 in semi-comfort.
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2007 BMW R1200R: On road
2009 BMW G650X Challenge: On road
1975 Norton Commando 850: Off road, awaiting recommissioning

[nowhere.elysium]

I found riding an NC30 to be pretty miserable, largely because of the size of the bike. The engine was fine, but I'm 5'11" and a bit on the portlier side, so had to fold myself up beyond the point of comfort to fit on it properly. The NC24 is a more forgiving shape, but you do require a certain masochistic streak to get hold of one and keep it running.
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'10 SV650SF, '83 GS650GT (it lives!), Questionable DIY dash project, 3D Printer project, Lasercutter project

[moonzoomer]

NC 30... very tall first gear so you will be slipping the clutch a lot to get away from lights but they are a torguey little beast once moving, another downside is that they tend to cost a bit more than an in-line 4 and servicing can be a pain.
FZR 400.. cheap and cheerful but uncomfortable, if you ran over a ten pence piece you could tell if it was heads or tails due to the stiff suspension and hard seat.
The Kawasaki would imo be the best choice of the 3 suggested for a city bike but in reality none are suited to city riding due to their sporty arse in the air riding position.

[Seb]

Want it for the looks or the sound and revvy nature?

The little 400 jap nakeds of the same era are infinitely better in town due to much more sensible gearing as well as cheaper ownership and running costs. They don't tend to get neglected as much as well. Also note that the lower gearing on the nakeds means you can actually use the rev range without needing to hit silly speeds in the process.

A CB-1 has the same geared cam motor as the CBR400RR, whilst the Superfour has a chain driven cam, many people (myself included) would happily rate it as one of the greatest small capacity bikes out there. The XJR is down on power but has the best looks, the stock exhaust is quiet but has a wicked howl to it as well The only one I'd be a little wary of is the ZRX400 due to the sheer rarity of them.
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2010 Triumph 1050 Sprint ST

[wr6133]

NC30 is cramped and the 1st gear is too tall for start stop traffic. It will drive you insane rather quickly.

Never tried the other 2.

CB-1 would be my choice for inner city work. Guy I work with has one it's comfortable and riding it puts a grin on your face.

I ended up with a ZZR400. Heaviest of the 400's and not as fast as the little pocket rockets but all day comfortable (it's a ZZR600 with a 400 engine).

[Slacker24seve...]

[MCN.]

I like sports 400's but as a town bike, no thanks.

They only make any sense when been thrashed and are useless at everything else. Small, uncomfortable, devoid of bottom end poke, and that's before you call age and neglect into it.

I intend to buy a GSXR400 at some point in the future, which will be used for lulz riding and maybe the odd PSB trackday. it will not be used for any urban riding whatsoever.

[kramdra]

Nakeds are heavier due to steel frame. 400 sports are a similar weight to 600s so the only advantage is the smaller geometry - shorter wheelbase, quicker steering of skinny tyres. Never ridden a vfr4 but cant imagine first gear being a problem - can always change sprockets.


Consider a 250 sports. Mine can still do 120 but in city its perfect, very agile and very light. I dont find it uncomfortable on a 25 mile commute but stick to twistys and aviod motorway - I dont like stressing an engine near its top speed.. If im late ill take the cbr6

[BenR]

For town riding an NC29 CBR will be your best bet. They pull well from low down but lack the hunched over riding position. Just don't expect to keep up with other 400s.

[MCN.]

[CaNsA]

1992 zxr400 - great for filtering through rush hour traffic.

just sayin.

[moonzoomer]

There are still a few good NT 400 about for little money, superb chassis, great handling and brakes, perfect town bike or go for the 650 version which is a fantastic bike but harder to find.
https://i1142.photobucket.com/albums/n604/mawlarky/HondaNT400Brosnbsp89_zps991f9ffb.jpg

[Al]

I use my 96 FZR400RR for everything bar commuting (have a work van)
and whilst it's not too bad, it's defiantly more of an occasion bike.
You have to really want to ride own one to enjoy it, if you just bought it because the insurance was cheap or something you'd soon get annoyed with it's short comings.
The FZR is more similar to the NC30 to sit on in that it feels very narrow and low like an old 2 stroke 250, the CBR and ZXR feel slightly larger and wider in comparison.
If I just wanted a small bike with a bit of character to commute on I'd probably go for an early ducati monster.
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[wr6133]

[koolio]

Hmm one I didn't consider but should be in that list is the CBR 400 nc 29..

[moonzoomer]

The NC30 has also got gear driven camshafts, all four of them.

[slowlydoesit]

[Moxey]

[Seb]

The geared cams are more of a noise thing although no honda tensioner to worry about is a plus

They played a big part in giving the SP1 it's savage soundtrack.
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2010 Triumph 1050 Sprint ST

[FriendlyEllis]

NC30 on the looks alone!

Over and out!
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Honda CB600F Hornet 2013 -> Kawasaki Z1000SX ABS Tourer 2015

[MCN.]

[Amber Phoenix]

My wife had a little ZZR400 for a short while. Not too bad, but a ZZR600 is about same price second hand and same weight! At least 90% of spares are interchangeable and cheap on ebay (fairing excepted).

Did pinch it a few times to commute into London, wasn't too bad filtering on TBH. Found tank small and economy a bit pants compared to my usual Fazer 600 (50mpg and 220mile range). Being an import, it took a bit to get used to checking speed in KM as I passed every speed cam on route too. Was seriously loud and rev'y, everyone heard me coming - even when pootling along at 25 mph!

Apparently stock brakes are bit pants, guy who previously had my wife's ZZR400 had swapped on some Nissins from an old CBR - found them great.
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