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| feef |
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feef
Energiser Bunny
Joined: 11 Feb 2002
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 Posted: 10:36 - 26 Apr 2006  Post subject: which 400? |
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I'm looking at buying the gf a 400, and was wondering what parts availability is like for some of the lesser known ones...
ZRX, bros or RF400 for example, as I can get some really good deals on them. Is this cos they are impossible to maintain?
Would I be better off looking for something more common like a VFR/RVF/ZXR/CBR400?
it's a long time since I was in the market for a 400, and managed to leapfrog to a bigger bike, so never actually owned one, hence i'm a bit short on detailed knowledge.
a
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| killa |
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killa
Won't Shut Up
Joined: 18 Oct 2004
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| Posted: 10:54 - 26 Apr 2006 Post subject: |
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Maybe a biased opinion but at the age they are now, there seems to be a lot of VFR400R’s floating about that have been loved and cared for.
There are entire NC’s on Ebay and with the right connections parts are readily available all the time.
The NC30 has one of the best power delivery’s in the 400 range, the torque engine is happy in town or on the M’way. I think as long as she isn’t a 6” 4 freak then it would be the perfect bike.
Edit:- As Siggi said, it was a generation ahead of the Kwak, a tight machine.
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| bidman |
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bidman
Crazy Courier
Joined: 01 Oct 2005
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| Posted: 11:17 - 26 Apr 2006 Post subject: |
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Hi, I would have to recommend a zxr400 because if your girlfriend is starting out for a pure confidence builder the zxr is fantastic. As everyone knows it has one of the BEST front ends in the business. Fair enough its not as nippy off the line as the vfr/rvf but it does have a greater top end and the handling is a lot better than them, also they are cheaper to buy initially and parts are also easier to come by.
Hope this helps, Dan 
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| Dark |
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Dark
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| DynaMight |
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DynaMight
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| NSR Mick |
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NSR Mick
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| Dom_ |
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Dom_
Points Mean Prizes
Joined: 02 Aug 2004
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| Posted: 11:57 - 26 Apr 2006 Post subject: |
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Out of the cbr/zxr/vfr i would pick the one you like the look of most, they are all extremely capable and brilliant little bikes in the right hands.
Obviously the ones which people used to own is the one they recommend.
I recommend the NC29 cbr.  |
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| Kitten |
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Kitten
Crazy Courier
Joined: 09 Oct 2005
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| ram_doom |
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ram_doom
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Joined: 25 Mar 2006
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| Posted: 12:22 - 26 Apr 2006 Post subject: |
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Cant really go wrong with the zxr cbr or vfr, as long as your lookin at looked after bikes you could pick whichever one you liked the look of most. I prefer the top end rush of my zxr to the v four of the vfr, despite the honda's punchier feel. The cbr is great for small riders too. The yamaha FZR is worth considering also, but its engine seems pretty flat because of the exup. Might have been just the one I rode was knackered though.
Only one that seems difficult to get parts for is the gsxr400, and its rumoured to not perform as well as the others. Looks nice however
I like the fact that, as the zxr models didnt change all that much over the years and they were manufactured until quite recently, parts are plentiful.
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| NSR Mick |
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NSR Mick
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Posted: 12:38 - 26 Apr 2006  Post subject: |
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| Dark |
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Dark
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| riichy |
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riichy
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Joined: 12 Apr 2005
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| Posted: 12:41 - 26 Apr 2006 Post subject: |
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zxr400....
looks the best out of the 400's ... is the fastest( and yes it is look at the stats).
also if you are over 6ft then the vfr and cbr are quite small
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Last edited by riichy on 17:58 - 08 May 2006; edited 1 time in total |
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| killa |
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killa
Won't Shut Up
Joined: 18 Oct 2004
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Posted: 12:46 - 26 Apr 2006  Post subject: |
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Stats don’t mean a thing then, EVERY Gixxer 400 I’ve seen has been bloody quick.
The kwaks seemed gutless, but I think this is to do with treatment of the bikes.
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| minesweeper |
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minesweeper
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| johnsilva |
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johnsilva
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| Dom_ |
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Dom_
Points Mean Prizes
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| Posted: 13:41 - 26 Apr 2006 Post subject: |
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| minesweeper |
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minesweeper
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| Posted: 13:52 - 26 Apr 2006 Post subject: |
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| Gazdaman |
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Gazdaman
I did a trackday!!!
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| minesweeper |
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minesweeper
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| Dom_ |
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Dom_
Points Mean Prizes
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| Posted: 14:18 - 26 Apr 2006 Post subject: |
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Nope your both wrong.
They are negative weight, reduce unsprung mass. |
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| numark1 |
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numark1
Scared of girls
Joined: 10 May 2004
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| Posted: 14:33 - 26 Apr 2006 Post subject: |
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I had a gsxr400 and it was slow. Felt fast at first but i don't like the acceleration on 400's.
I would go for an RVF as they are newer (mine broke every day) was a 91 model.
Plus the rvf looks sweet with twin stacked cans.  |
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| NSR Mick |
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NSR Mick
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| craigs23 |
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craigs23
Mr Muscle
Joined: 08 Jun 2005
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Posted: 17:21 - 26 Apr 2006  Post subject: |
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Recently wrote this on another forum - albeit CBR-VFR-RVF comparison. Having a somewhat 'obsessive' addiction to finish, build quality, reliability and detailing, for me, the other manufacturers rarely get a look in.
| Quote: | First things first - the engines. On paper, and probably back to back, the performance of all the bikes are extremely similar - on the road, the differences between each model will be marginal. However, I don't ride with my eyes transfixed on the speedo, so I ride by feel. There is a big difference between the feeling of the V4 engined RVF and VFR and that of the inline CBR. The CBR is a bit of a screamer - a rev or nothing motor which really needs thrashing to get the best of (or anything that constitutes acceleration) - the trick is to stay above 10,000rpm for best progress, where the some reasonable 'power' can be felt. Great for backroad scratching, not so good on the trip to work.
The V4s feel as if they're a bit slower revving - 7,000rpm (70mph in 6th) feels like the bike's idling - which is great for cruising down bypasses (even if you need to keep more of an eye on the speedo - speed is deceptive). The V configuration engine comes into play here, as they feel like a mini-twin of some sort. They also have a delivery which actually gives a relative midrange - nice and torquey when over 6,000rpm, so you don't need to dance on the gear lever as much than on the CBR. In my opinion, the V4s also sound better (the louder the exhaust the better) - they've got such a carasmatic flat drone to them (with a bit of a rasping bark when hacking on) - it's really like hooning around on a mini Isle of Man TT racer (albeit at legal(ish) speeds). Because the engine feels so under stressed in comparison to the CBR, I found I not only could settle for a brisk pace without trying, but when putting the effort in, actually covered ground quicker. They don't feel like they've got the top end of the CBR, but this is just the 'feel' from the engine - infact, as the delivery is a lot linear, the top end is more or less the same (NC30s a little more infact). This plays divedends, as when I rode the CBR, I had to put a lot of effort into making the thing go (constant gearchanges to keep it on song) whereas, I could ride the V4s at 80% and still cover ground as quickly.
Chassis wise - the V4s feel a little heavier than the CBR, but more planted when in a corner. They have a lower center of gravity, which requires a little more effort to turn (suspectly down to the NC30's 18 inch rear wheel as well), using more body/hip movement helped drop them into corners. The CBR feels sustantially lighter, many a time I was picking the bike up mid-corner as I was heading for the apex too early. Coupled with the engine's lack of bottom end torque, it felt as if you're hovering above the ground. Out of the two, I'd say that the CBRs got the handling edge as stock - I only had the bike for 2 months or so (missed the V4s, different story) in the middle of winter - but was still confident to push the bike off the edges of the rear tyre. The V4s have a slightly better brake setup, but a lot of this is down to condition - I uprated them anyway with Nissin Sintered Pads and Braided Lines.
Comfort - the V4s are slightly larger, coupled with their more weighty feel, I found them better covering larger distances. I'm 5'8 on a good day, but found the CBR cramped and tiring on the commute to work - especially with that buzzy engine.
Looks - no contest in my opinion. V4s all the way - single sided swingarms, RC30 and 45 clones will always look better than a Fireblade-wannabe. The CBR's okay, but the tail unit seems out of proportion with the rest of the bike - my CBR looked especially unbalanced with its double bubble screen (not my choice) Best finished bike is the NC30, followed by the CBR (those fold out pillion pegs are pretty cool). The RVF's very good, but there's a few areas where it looks a bit scruffy - rubber gasket for rear seat lock for instance, lack of rad. grill, welding on the exhaust, etc. Get inside a V4 and you'll find it's a very intricate and well put together motorcycle - everything looks so right (early mass centralisation) and seems to 'click' together - bitch to work on though.
VFR-RVF. Not much difference here, other than the obvious cosmetics. Basically:
VFR has 18 inch rear, NC35 (RVF) has 17 inch - marginally better choice of tyres, but I'd usually recomend H rated tyres for 400s anyway - and the popular ones come in both 17 and 18 inch guises.
30 has bigger carbs than the 35 - which usually means a little more power at the expense of midrange drive. I found the difference to be marginal though, but the 30s do feel as if they pull better at the high end from standard.
Looks - same engine, very similar frame, but the main difference between each model is looks. Which looks best is a matter of opinion - 35 is basically a slightly modernised (to mid 90s fashion) 30 - with rounded/fatter bits. 30 has better attention to detail and finish.
Forks - 30 has right way up forks, 35 has upsidedownies. The internals from latter 30s and for 35s are very similar, so you're only really getting a cosmetic tweak. However, some riders claim the 35's front end is a lot better - I failed to find a massive advantage. Bars do feel closer on the 35, or maybe that's just because I'd been riding a Gullarm too long between the 30 and 35.
Price - good 35s are usually a grand or more than good 30s. You don't really get much for that grand, apart from 'uprated' looks. If I was to buy another 400 (which I will), I'd rather spend my money on a cheaper 30 - more change for restoring/tweaking that way. Besides, I'm a sucker for the original, being somewhat of a purist. Difference in speed is marginal - both are good for around 135, quarter mile in 13 or so seconds.
Go blag a ride on a couple of fine examples (opt for ones of similar condition for a fair test if possible), then see which you prefer. If it was my decision (and I'm thinking of returning to 400s soon with a second bike), I'll opt for a good, clean, original NC30. Happy hunting. |
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| colin1 |
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colin1
Captain Safety
Joined: 17 Feb 2005
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| Posted: 17:24 - 26 Apr 2006 Post subject: |
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doms b4 and after pics are enough to make me cry
i love the way what bike threads always turn into my bike (or the bike I had) is better than your bike (or the bike you had)
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Last edited by colin1 on 18:19 - 26 Apr 2006; edited 1 time in total |
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| cLaTTeReD |
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cLaTTeReD
Nitrous Nuisance
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Old Thread Alert!
The last post was made 20 years, 72 days ago. Instead of replying here, would creating a new thread be more useful? |
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