2stroke 250 or 4 stroke 400

RooRoo · Anal Intruder Joined: 04 May 2004 Karma :

for everyday use, including commuting to work, going for a weekend blast, touring, and trackdays..general use, which is better?

The usual candidates included, as in, the vfr400, rvf, zx4r, cbr400, and gixxer 400 vs the nsr250, RGV250, RS250 etc...

mr.z · World Chat Champion Joined: 04 Feb 2004 Karma :

2stroke - underpant filling fun

4stroke - fun with lesser reliability worries...

for yourself i'm guessing? i'd never personally have a 2stroke as my only bike, most will have been murdered, even carefull maintainance they can be tempremantal...

what you said you'd use it for put them in order of importance, thats hats gonna help decide most...

btw, why a 400?
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Stu_666 · Brolly Dolly Joined: 27 Jun 2004 Karma :

If it was me I'd go for a 400cc 4-stroke. Shame they don't do many new ones now.

RooRoo · Anal Intruder Joined: 04 May 2004 Karma :

It was just a little dispute I was having with Andy on msn in which he claimed all 400cc bikes were shit sportbike wannabe's, and I claimed they seem better than 250's for most things, I just wanted to see the general opinion on it, chances are I'll get a sports 400 as a first bike soon

EuropeanNC30R... · Gay Hairdresser Joined: 20 Jun 2002 Karma :

I've owned both, a 400 is better. And unless you're a very rich masochist you can't tour on a 2-stroke 250, except maybe possibly one of the more 'sensible' derivatives of the TZR250. Still wouldn't recommend it though.

RooRoo · Anal Intruder Joined: 04 May 2004 Karma :

Would anyone agree with the Andys opinion that 400's are shit bikes that want to be 600s but are missing a load of the engine?

tony532 · World Chat Champion Joined: 29 May 2004 Karma :

i voted 400cc 4t

EuropeanNC30R... · Gay Hairdresser Joined: 20 Jun 2002 Karma :

I wouldn't agree with Andy on principle. He's got as much chance of passing his test as Scotland have of winning the World Cup... at anything. So he can say what he likes Razz

mr.z · World Chat Champion Joined: 04 Feb 2004 Karma :

For fun i.e. a few days a year, sunny weather, trackdays then 2stroke wins... but for anything else, they simply arent made for it...

zzr 400, bandit 400, sv 400, all worth adding... dont pin yourself down to the cc, tis not the only thing to mesure them by...

example..

Tranalp 600 - 50bhp 110mph

zxr 400 - 70bhp 140mph

crb600 is what i'd go for myself, or a zzr600 or bandit, sv650 if i had money to throw about (i like v twins) and these restricted will still be great...

EDIT: as i understand it from a japanese friend the reason theres so many 400s is their licences+costs go by max-cc the gap from 400 and upwards is VERY expensive, hence being lots of 400s being imported.
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NSR125-Kid-UK · Attention Whore Joined: 03 May 2003 Karma :

conpants · Spanner Monkey Joined: 20 May 2004 Karma :

lol is this the same andy who failed his cbt 4 times?

epz · Scooby Slapper Joined: 26 Apr 2005 Karma :

while 4 strokes have to be more reliable than 2 strokes i cant say 400s and reliable are the first thing that springs to mind.

i would look up the insurance prices of 600s if i were you, you can get fazers, bandits, sv's and even some older cbrs and ninjas at the £1700 mark. unlike either of the other options they can do a lot of miles arent likely turn into pile of bolts at the 25k mile mark.

EuropeanNC30R... · Gay Hairdresser Joined: 20 Jun 2002 Karma :

My 400 has 67000km on the clock, just had to replace the rectifier admittedly, but it's been going quite well for a bag of bolts...

plugger147 · World Chat Champion Joined: 13 Mar 2005 Karma :

for everyday it's gotta be the 4t.
and what the matter with the good ole kr1s.
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epz · Scooby Slapper Joined: 26 Apr 2005 Karma :

EuropeanNC30R... · Gay Hairdresser Joined: 20 Jun 2002 Karma :

Not exactly, the ZXR400 had engine updates in the late ninties, (though also sold in the UK) and the RVF400 NC35 wasn't even released until around 1994-95 time.

2t-Screamer · Crazy Courier Joined: 25 Apr 2005 Karma :

mchaggis · World Chat Champion Joined: 09 May 2004 Karma :

Very simply put, the more power an engine puts out for a given displacement, the higher tuned it is. The more highly tuned it is, the more likely it is to break.

The 250 producing 50hp (200hp per litre) is never going to even be able to pretend to approach the reliability of the 400 producing 60hp (150hp per litre).

Obviously owner/ rider care plays a big part. Four strokes have valves to set.
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NSR125-Kid-UK · Attention Whore Joined: 03 May 2003 Karma :

plugger147 · World Chat Champion Joined: 13 Mar 2005 Karma :

didn't know it was possible to fail the cbt.
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tatters · Exxon Valdez Joined: 04 Jan 2004 Karma :

EuropeanNC30R... · Gay Hairdresser Joined: 20 Jun 2002 Karma :

A CBR250 doesn't put out much less power than an early RGV, and pretty much the same as an NSR250. Still a hell of a lot more reliable though. Engine design affects reliability much more than state of tune. For example 160bhp GSX-R1000 and a 160bhp V-twin Ducati, I know which engine I'd put money on blowing up.

conpants · Spanner Monkey Joined: 20 May 2004 Karma :

lol i have a full licence .. and i only passed my cbt in june .. go pull your finger out your ass and get on with it!

NSR125-Kid-UK · Attention Whore Joined: 03 May 2003 Karma :

tony532 · World Chat Champion Joined: 29 May 2004 Karma :

no one in japan rides a 400cc sports rep or indeed any sports rep they are about as popular there as chavs are to us

it was due to a license restriction

they still sit in crates gathering dust ready to be shipped over here at extortionate prices as do 250's