Bike buying - head or heart

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HisNibbs
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#91 Post by HisNibbs » Mon Feb 23, 2015 12:04 pm

IMNSHO 400/4 didn't handle as well as my BMW r50/5 and had no where near the ground clearance... My view of the handling was not that it was good but was not as abysmal as the rest of the Hondas of the time.
My RD400 would eat one for brecky though there were one or two quick, loads of money, 460cc? conversions around.
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#92 Post by D-Rider » Mon Feb 23, 2015 12:43 pm

HisNibbs wrote:IMNSHO 400/4 didn't handle as well as my BMW r50/5 and had no where near the ground clearance... My view of the handling was not that it was good but was not as abysmal as the rest of the Hondas of the time.
My RD400 would eat one for brecky though there were one or two quick, loads of money, 460cc? conversions around.
Rider input probably Keef.
You on your Yam would probably eat them alive just as I never lost out to an RD400, KH400 or GT380 back in those days.

I'm too absorbed by the possible consequences of getting it wrong these days to ride as quick as I once did.

I've picked up a Yoshimura 466 kit for the rebuild that my 400 will be getting .... eventually.
Hopefully the extra cubes will help compensate for the extra mass it'll have to shift around .... I seem to have received a bulk-upgrade since those days.
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#93 Post by Dusty » Mon Feb 23, 2015 5:31 pm

I've never owned a Honda either. In my formative years, my buddies and I were Kawasaki riders and usd to joke that "We'd rather eat worms than ride a Honda".
However, I was in love with the 400/4 but, being a relatively impecunious student, couldn't afford it at the time. It's still on my list of bikes I'd like to own. I can't say any of the current lineup appeals to me but you can't deny the reliability and quality they offer.
Last edited by Dusty on Mon Feb 23, 2015 5:34 pm, edited 1 time in total.

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#94 Post by Willopotomas » Mon Feb 23, 2015 7:32 pm

Honda VFR-800. Before they farted around with the v-tec system. One of the best bikes I've ever owned. Brilliant bit of kit. Only sold it as was joint owner with a friend and couldn't afford to buy him out, so we moved it on.. Made a tidy profit to be fair. :smt003

Anyway. It had 70,000+ miles when it was sold and still see it around every now n' then. Build quality was good, finish was good. Went well, stopped well (linked braking system), and handled brilliantly.
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#95 Post by flatlander » Mon Feb 23, 2015 9:18 pm

Now that's a Honda I have always fancied owning
For the avoidance of doubt and for the benefit of my wife, not everything I may say here will be absolutely true I may on ocassion embellish a little for effect.
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#96 Post by HowardQ » Mon Feb 23, 2015 11:02 pm

The three previous bikes before the two I have now were Hondas built between 1990 and 1995 - a VFR 750, A CB750 F2N Retro and a CBR1000F.
I was happy with all 3 but they all lacked character.
I also rode a 1998 CBR6 a lot at that time which was a really nice blke!
The 1000F was probably my favourite out of the three and was nicknamed the supasonic sofa.
Never owned a 400/4, but the Suzi T350, GT380 and a number of Kwack KH 350s I had in that era, were probably quicker and more fun, (I loved strokers at that time!), but probably didn't handle as well.
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#97 Post by mangocrazy » Mon Feb 23, 2015 11:17 pm

I started out on Hondas, mainly because I got a ffxer-upper dirt cheap and that was all I could afford. I px-d that for another Honda, as it was on offer at a good price, and I liked the reliability. Then I sold the 175 and got the CB77 (305cc) which was my first 'real' bike and the one I did my first (indicated) ton on.

But all the time I was riding Hondas, I was lusting after a two-stroke and when Yamaha announced their RD350LC, that was it. The bike of my dreams had arrived and I put my deposit down for one. That really showed me what power bands were all about. Hitting 7000rpm for the first time and feeling it take off is one of my fondest memories. I'm sure it would feel really tame now, but back in 1980 it was fantastic... Happy days...

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#98 Post by D-Rider » Tue Feb 24, 2015 12:22 am

HowardQ wrote: Never owned a 400/4, but the Suzi T350, GT380 and a number of Kwack KH 350s I had in that era, were probably quicker
Data from Classic Motorcycle Mechanics:

Image
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#99 Post by HisNibbs » Tue Feb 24, 2015 7:23 am

And then skimmed heads and spending a little quality time with a file on the two strokes could make a considerable difference for not a lot of cash. Getting similar gains from a 4 stroke would be expensive.
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#100 Post by D-Rider » Tue Feb 24, 2015 9:56 am

Yoshimura pipe (standard pipes never lasted that long), full fairing and a set of girling gas shocks and the job was a good-un.

Yep further engine work wouldn't have been cheap but it was plenty of fun like that.
The Mocheck Harrier 400/4s had the Yoshimura 466 kit and yoshi pipe - and I think they may have had a yoshi cam - they were good for an extra 10 mph at the top.

The real bikes for the track were those prepped by Kaz Yoshima - various capacity hikes - right up to 500cc plus his own pipe ..... and won races ahead of Z1s and the like .... there was plenty of tuning in that motor .... budgets permitting.
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#101 Post by randomsquid » Sat Feb 28, 2015 4:00 pm

And I seem to have bought an Honda.

A CB500F in red.

He'd only do me two hundred quid off on account of the low rate finance offer and free top box and panniers that Honda are doing to shift the stock before the new (fucking awful) colours come out.

Still that's transport and shopping sorted for the next ten years or so.
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#102 Post by HisNibbs » Sat Feb 28, 2015 5:36 pm

The no nonsense option. Surprising really :smt002
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#103 Post by Dusty » Sat Feb 28, 2015 9:22 pm

Sensible decision. Gets good reviews;bound to provide reliable commuting and not so dull that you hate it but dull enough to keep you appreciating the Falco. Safe riding.

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#104 Post by randomsquid » Sat Feb 28, 2015 10:02 pm

Cheers, the sales drone congratulated me on my purchase which was strange as I felt like I'd bought an appliance. The haggling bit was fun, like playing risk but with money. :smt002

I've got the urge to buy something else purely as a toy. Nothing to say I can't have three bikes. Or four bikes...

I test rode an F and an X and sat on the CBR500. The F was the only one that was remotely me shaped. Must be some odd shaped motorcyclists about.

Edited to add - also the horn and indicators are arse backwards. Which is a good thing as the late model Falcos are as well. This was the hardest thing when jumping off one bike to another, horning round corners and indicting at idiots.
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#105 Post by HowardQ » Sat Feb 28, 2015 10:46 pm

Glad you got it sorted John.
Should do a good job on the commute and be excellent on fuel, the sensible choice.
Keep us updated on how it goes on.
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