Honda CB400 SuperFour - Opinions?

Tezzy

I'm planning my first bike on a tight budget and think its going to be a superfour.

From what i can gather they are quite forgiving for a novice rider commuting in and around town with the odd spin down the country while mechanically tough with enough poke to prevent the onset of boredom within a few months. Is this accurate?

I did my test a few years ago on a rented bike so license is not an issue but i assume they're learner legal anyway?

I'm 6ft and 13.5 stone, it's a good lump of a bike i assume it will be big enough to be comfortable given the streetbike stance?

My budget is <1k which will probably limit me to a mid 90s bike. Anybody got any suggestions as to what to look out for when viewing? I know my way around cars quite well but is there anything in particular i should look out for with knackered suspension, engine, electrics etc?

Any advice or suggestions appreciated

hobochris

Super fours are generally bullet proof.

ask when the valve clearances were last done and when the chain and sprokets were last changed.

make sure that their are no tell tail signs of it having take a trip down the road, i.e. bent frame etc..

the tires should be able to give you some idea of weather the bikes been lying up for a while or if its been abused.

KamiKazi

My first bike Have had it about 7 months now.

Not learner legal, it puts out around 45bhp.

Generally not a whole lot to go wrong, as chris check when valve clearances were done, and listen out for a high pitched tat-tat-tat from the engine as it usually means new cam chain tensioner.

Apart from that I'd just check the usual consumables - chains & sprockets, tyres, fork seals (wipe the forks clean, compress the forks by putting weight on the bars, check for oil - oil means the forks are on their way out).

Fabio

Any opinion I read of them seems to be good. I think they look lovely, they're Honda so are bound to be reliable enough but besides the name they actually have a real reputation for being dependable bikes.

I've always been warned that bikes in Dublin are susceptible to being courier machines so check the mileage against the work done on the bike to make sure it tally's up.

People say that it's a buyer's market at the moment and to an extent it is but bikes are still viewed as being luxury items/fun items so sometimes prices aren't as low as you'd think.

If you can't find a SuperFour, there are plenty of alternatives like the Suzuki Bandit 600 (I stepped up to this from a 125cc, tis a grand bike), Honda CB500 is a good bike too.

Best of luck!

Tezzy

cheers folks, would i get a decent one for a grand?

are parts and spares easy to come by?

honeybadger

tis a honda ebay is your friend for parts

KamiKazi

Tezzy wrote: »

cheers folks, would i get a decent one for a grand?

are parts and spares easy to come by?

http://www.adverts.ie/showproduct.php?product=160705&cat=47

Spares are very easy to find, due to the amount of CB400s used by couriers etc.

CorkMaths.ie

i got a cb400 1995 as my first bike, only pushes 33bhp as old carb version but its great, light but heavy enough, got speed if you want it but won't fly away from you.
Great machine

CorkMaths.ie

P.S. lots of scrapped parts around too

KamiKazi

CorkMaths.ie wrote: »

i got a cb400 1995 as my first bike, only pushes 33bhp as old carb version but its great, light but heavy enough, got speed if you want it but won't fly away from you.
Great machine

I'm afraid you're wrong there http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Honda_CB400

seanybiker

I likes the super fours. Meaty looking things for a 400.

KTRIC

seanybiker wrote: »

I likes the super fours. Meaty looking things for a 400.

I totally agree. I'm seriously thinking of getting an XJR400 this summer as a little run about.

seanybiker

KTRIC wrote: »

I totally agree. I'm seriously thinking of getting an XJR400 this summer as a little run about.

Would ya believe I was gonna get one last summer but I kinda drank all me money instead lol. I really like them bikes.

KamiKazi

KTRIC wrote: »

I totally agree. I'm seriously thinking of getting an XJR400 this summer as a little run about.

I'm really considering getting an XJR400, beatiful bike.

Tezzy

KamiKazi wrote: »

I'm really considering getting an XJR400, beatiful bike.

is there much difference between an XJR400 and Fazer 400? How do they compare to a Superfour?

Cheers for all the info so far folks have my eye on the bike linked above.

Any opinions on this? http://www.gumtree.ie/dublin/14/52445014.html i think its been for sale a while

KamiKazi

Tezzy wrote: »

is there much difference between an XJR400 and Fazer 400? How do they compare to a Superfour?

Cheers for all the info so far folks have my eye on the bike linked above.

Any opinions on this? http://www.gumtree.ie/dublin/14/52445014.html i think its been for sale a while

XJR400 is pretty similar to the Super4.

Never liked Fazers, too upright for me and pretty ugly too

T-Square

Tezzy wrote: »

I'm planning my first bike on a tight budget and think its going to be a superfour.

From what i can gather they are quite forgiving for a novice rider commuting in and around town with the odd spin down the country while mechanically tough with enough poke to prevent the onset of boredom within a few months. Is this accurate?

I did my test a few years ago on a rented bike so license is not an issue but i assume they're learner legal anyway?

I'm 6ft and 13.5 stone, it's a good lump of a bike i assume it will be big enough to be comfortable given the streetbike stance?

My budget is <1k which will probably limit me to a mid 90s bike. Anybody got any suggestions as to what to look out for when viewing? I know my way around cars quite well but is there anything in particular i should look out for with knackered suspension, engine, electrics etc?

Any advice or suggestions appreciated

Things have moved on from the super4, those days are over.
Get yourself a factory restricted Bandit6 or Hornet6.
Or a Veradero<sp?>
That is all.

Tezzy

T-Square wrote: »

Things have moved on from the super4, those days are over.
Get yourself a factory restricted Bandit6 or Hornet6.
Or a Veradero<sp?>
That is all.

find me a bandit or hornet for 1k :mad:

Rippy

Rf600 would be a decent bike for that sort of money. Much underated.
400 superfour is a nice loking bike but you will get bored of it pretty quickly. Plus as previously stated, most suffer courier abuse. might as well get a Bros.:rolleyes:

Fabio

Lads if this is gonna be his first bike than a 400cc is plenty for him.

I spent a year on a 125cc and went all over the place on it, had great times on it.

OP if you feel comfy on the 400, go for it and then move on up when you've a good few miles under your belt and if you really do want to have bigger bike under you.

Tezzy

Fabio wrote: »

Lads if this is gonna be his first bike than a 400cc is plenty for him.

400cc is my ceiling to be honest, for insurance costs mainly. There's only a hundred odd quid in the difference between a 125 and a 400 but would there be much difference in running costs?

I dont know whether to go for something cheap and simple like a GN125 or maybe a 250 cruiser (virago, marauder etc). Or maybe even a Yamaha TDR125? How are the 2 strokes for reliability?

This will primarily be a suburban commuter doing ~100 miles a week but i hope to get more use out of it during the summer on the open road once the weather picks up.

Is a 400 is going to be substantially more expensive than a 125 to run (fuel, tyres, brakes, chains etc)? then its not worth my while getting the bigger bike for what open road/motorway driving ill be doing

KamiKazi

Tezzy wrote: »

Is a 400 is going to be substantially more expensive than a 125 to run (fuel, tyres, brakes, chains etc)? then its not worth my while getting the bigger bike for what open road/motorway driving ill be doing

I don't think so TBH, and if you're doing a bit of motorway mileage the extra weight & power will be nice.

seanybiker

Na there wont be much difference really. Go for the 400 and you should be happy.

zzr

yip super four is a great bike its a honda just bring someone who knows their bikes if you unsure:cool:

Fabio

Here's an example...

My Honda Innova, a 125cc 4 stroker, cost me less than a fiver to run on fuel for a 100mile week. All suburb to college commutes really. Tyres for it cost about €100, fitted and all and that only needed doing every 2000 miles or so afaik (i may be wrong). Servicing it was simple and cheap. It was my first bike and Quinn insured me on it for €650, dropping to about €350 with my first year under my belt.

A 400cc will be more expensive than this to run but so is a lightbulb! That Innova would have run on my own droppings should it have had to...bulletproof yokes built for people who have no fuel money...or any money really.

A 400cc will have bigger tyres but they wouldn't need to be done often really and servicing it should be very cheap, especially if you are doing it yourself. Fuel costs won't be huge, probably cost you a good bit less than €20 to keep the tank full and that's probably do you for maybe 200 miles (although I'm guessing this cos Bandit 600's are meant to get about 140/150 miles to a tank).

KamiKazi

Well I get 240kms to a €17 tank, and anyone that's seen me drive knows I drive it pretty hard Usually never drop below 6k revs because most of my commute involves filtering so the extra noise tends to wake up car drivers.

I got tyres put on two months ago (BT45's), cost me just over €200 for supply and fitting. I've done over 3000kms since and they look like new, loads and loads of thread left on them.

Servicing is easy, pop the tank off and the whole engine is right there, dead handy.

Tezzy

thanks for the feedback lads, some great advice there

Leaves me confused to be honest, i dont know whether to do the sensible thing and just get a 125 (CG125, GN125, Yamaha YBR125).



I'd say about 70% of my time will be ducking around town @ <50kmh and i'm heading off travelling in 15-18 months (so bike ownership is not a really long term paln this time round anyway) but im wondering is the (comparable) lack of acceleration of a 125 frustrating around town after the first week?

I just sold my Supra Twin Turbo and Toyota Altezza so i dont want to feel like im wringing the neck of a 125 to make reasonable progress!

Insurance is only marginally higher on the bigger bike €700 (125cc) €850 (400cc)

Decisions decisions...