400cc owners. Reliabiliy.

[Claud 14.7 to 1]

Just curious as to:

What 400cc bike you own (and which year)?
How long you've owned it?
What's gone wrong with it, if anything?

This need not only apply to current 400cc owners, if you've had one in the past please pass on the info as well.

Thanks, Claud.

[VFR400UK]

NC30
1989

Nothing currently wrong with it.
Past problems have been a blown reg/rec and a fried battery when i got it. a seized piston in a front caliper, an airleak caused by a perished carb rubber.

All of which were fixed in minutes with parts found online in seconds.

[minesweeper]

1996 rvf400

Blown rectifier that kept destroying batteries, finaly got it sorted with an aftermarket item, mechnicaly sound.

Owned for 2 years.

Loadsa fun

matt

[Yeti]

ZXR400 H1 (1989)

I have had it for about 6months now and completely rebuilt it from a box so obviously there was going to be teething problems especially with electrics being sat around in a garage for years. The rectifier went in the first week due to corrosion etc. I fitted a new one and havent had any electrical problems since.

I had major over heating problems recently and went through a list of new parts to try and cure the problem, new head gasket, thermostat, stripped down the water pump, new rad cap. in the end it was a break in the seal on the filler cap so the system wasnt pressurising and just throwing its water out!

Other than that i have had no problems it starts first time every time and runs sweet as a nut so i am very happy for a 16 year old bike.
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Lifes a Beach!

[kb-zxr]

1991 ZXR400L1

Problems - Snapped Chain.

I will let the bike off for that. Find one that has been well looked after and you're unlikely to have any more problems than modern 600s do.

[craigs23]

I've got an RVF 1994 L reg. Had a host of problems as the previous owner (a well known garage) didn't carry out any sort of maintainence work that I'd describe as 'professional'. Nothing to do with realiability though, as I haven't suffered from any break downs what so ever in the passed 9,000 miles (just constant tweaking).

I had an '89 NC30 before hand, with 70,000km on the clock. I owned it for 18 months before it was rudely taken away from me. Only moment of unreliability was when the Rectifier went AWOL - but they all do that. Replaced and never missed a beat afterwards.

[Lee_367]

Honda RVF400RT,

1998 12000km on it at present,

No problems yet. (touches wood.)
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?It?s mercy, compassion, and forgiveness I lack?not rationality.?

[johnsilva]

1998 cbr400 gull arm, owned since new, 69000km, only prob ever was a collapsed baffle in the standard silencer.

john
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Current Bikes: ZX7R P5; KR1S C2; GPX250R F3
Previously: CBR400RR-R; YQ50 Aerox

[fazed]

VFR400 NC24
what was right with it , would of been a good question.

CBR400 NC29
1990 bike was great , Done 6000 miles on it trouble free , only normal consumables were replaced eg tyres , oil , owned it for 3 months

RVF400 NC35
1996 bike was best 400 I owned , done 17000 miles on it clock read 48000km when sold again only consumables owned for 8 months.
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gixxer thou K6 , Cbr400 gullarm x 2 , cb400 superhack.

[craigs23]

You keep hold of your bikes for long...

[Simeski]

1992 CBR400 Gullarm - Had it since Feb

Only prob I've had is the reg/rec blowing half way back from the bulldog bash last month, Paid £30 for another one on a different forum and luckily it didn't fry the battery.

Apart from that all it's needed was new chain and sprockets and a new rear tyre.

Has done my daily commute without missing a beat for the last 7 months.

[jamie192]

ZXr 400, 1999 12000 miles

owned 3 weeks, not riden it yet but kath has. back wheel bearings gone already.

apart from that perfect, also sounds lovely.
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Ride Fast, Brake hard, don't fall off!

[Barry_M2]

I had a J reg ZXR400 back in 1994(ish). Had it for 2 years.

Brought it on about 4k miles.

Sold 2 years later with 52,000 miles on it.

So, 48k miles in 2 years and all that went wrong was a blown head gasket and snapped cam follower.

Look after your bike and it'll look after you.

[distortion]

CBR 400 NC29

J plate 1992

owned since june

nothing gone wrong yet that wasnt my fault

[v4forlife]

91 nc30

had it for 2 years, and due to the previous owner(ive met him and he told me what he did)i had to rewire the entire bike, reg/recs etc, over heating, broken lower rad fan, front and rear calipers siezed.

all sorted now, just body work to sort, but it dont need that to work

oh and recently, a blowing link pipe, but got that sorted, and its actually got more power than i thought.
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www.wilcollinsphoto.co.uk

[TOM M]

Zxr400L5,
Had it about 2 months now and the only problem i have had is the cam chain buggered up (my fault for not checking wether the previous owner had had it changed) should be gettign her back tomorrow
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Now owner of a 1200 Bandit

[V4_AllTheWay]

1991 VFR400 NC30

Had it just over a year now, no real problems, apart from a knackered radiator and hence overheating, but I should have fixed that now.

Touch wood, everything else is fine.

[fazed]

[Jrod]

ZXR400L2

Owned it 1 year and 1 month, about 13,000 miles covered in that time.
Headgasket went and so did the rec. That's only prob's I've had as far as I can remember. Not bad.

[DynaMight]

1990 NC30
20,000 miles in 2 years
not a major issue
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My bikes are at https://www.bikepics.com/members/dynamight/

[zxrmarc]

Hi zxr4

I have done about 11000 miles since about december 04 only problem i have had is the cam chain went, but that was down to company who serviced it, the bike has done about 17000 miles.

[nc30 chick]

1991 NC30
Only problems in last year was a new battery was needed and the starter motor went.
I dont intend on changing her until hubby gives me his ZX6 or I find a nice little R6 but it wont be yet.

[VFR400UK]

From the sounds of things then:

When buying a ZXR check the headgasket and cam chain, budget fo a possible replacement.

When buying a VFR check the battery and reg/rec and budget to replace both when purchasing (£35 each off ebay)

When buying a GSXR, get a second one ready to break for parts

[TOM M]

[Annabella]

CBR400 NC29, a 1991

I've had it two years now!

So far the only problem I have is a niggly electrical fault. Using the lights seems to drain the battery (sometimes, not always). Seems to cure itself occasionally - think it's just down to dodgy contacts that need cleaning regularly.

I've serviced it twice (oil and filter changes etc) and done around 8000 miles. It's due a new chain and sprockets as I fear these are the original ones (like everything else on the bike!)

I'm curious as to the purpose of this research... do tell us!
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