Wish I could get a bike like this here.....

[Bruce in OK]

A nice 400cc bike would be just the ticket for rides around town and short hops in the country.

[Bruce in OK]

Or this, the CB400 ABS



But, a 400cc inline four seems like too many moving parts for a little 400cc bike.

[debron]

Gosh, I remember when the Honda 750 was considered a huge, humongous bike and 350-400 cc were the "norm." (Do I show my age?)

[Mr Jensee]

You still can Bruce! Ebay is full of them!
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/1968-hon ... 4d00129a08

[Bruce in OK]

Been there, done that. Nowdays, I want something I don't have to scrounge parts for and has solid state ignition--if not fuel injection.

[SgtSlag]

Most bikes of that size are still carbureted, even today; FI systems seem to appear at 600cc+ sizes. Other than that, parts availability has not been much of a problem on my '79 Honda CB750K, or the '83 Kawasaki 440 LTD I sold last Fall; neither of those bikes have points ignition system, either. Most parts, for those two bikes, have been still available from the factory, or an aftermarket maker. Of course, YMMV. Cheers!

[Bruce in OK]

Injection is becoming more prevelant all the time with emission regs like they are. My '06 250 Vespa is injected. I really appreciate that, but it won't run if my battery craps out.

[David (N. Alabama)]

I'm thinking about a newer 250cc dual sport and the only one I can find with fuel injection is Yamaha.

I had a honda 500 four. Nice bike.

[Bruce in OK]

One of my first rides on a street bike was on a CB500 four, complete with a Vetter fairing. It set the motorcycle "hook" even deeper in my mouth.

My Japanese is a little rusty, but I believe both of the 400's I posted pictures of are injected now. I know the inline is because in the specs it said "programmed fuel injection" (in English) within the engine specs. I really beat myself up by going to the international sites and see what's being built and it never sees the light of day in the USA.

[David (N. Alabama)]

Well, when the american people as well as the journalists consider the 650cc motorcycles starter bikes and anything smaller for girls or small guys, you can see why they would not consider importing the 400cc line of bikes.

Kawasaki makes a Ninja 400 that does go to Canada. I believe it is a sleeved Ninja 650R.

The versys originaly was not slated for American consumption, but enough people showed an interest in it for Kawasaki to bring it over here.

[Bruce in OK]

I think all of Honda's new bikes are coming out with FI. Even the revived Super Cub has been injected.

[Mr Jensee]

David that was a gorgeous CB500. Man I miss the looks of the old bikes. I cut my teeth on the Japanese bikes of the 60's and grew up with that UJM style. The new stuff just doesn't ignite the passion these old beautiful Steel tank, bare tube frame, carbureted bikes do. And man do I miss those gorgeous chromed finders and pipes!

[kjsett]

In '74 I had a CJ350 Honda that I was riding, and a friend of my dads stopped by on a Honda 500 (4cyl). More than that I don't remember, but I do remember he let me ride it on our driveway (1/10 mile long) and i cracked the throttle like I would on the 350 and nearly thru myself off the back of the bike. I was barely able to hang on, so no dented metal, but a very impressed 18yr old.
Ah, those were the days.

[David (N. Alabama)]

David that was a gorgeous CB500. Man I miss the looks of the old bikes. I cut my teeth on the Japanese bikes of the 60's and grew up with that UJM style. The new stuff just doesn't ignite the passion these old beautiful Steel tank, bare tube frame, carbureted bikes do. And man do I miss those gorgeous chromed finders and pipes!

Thanks. That is a photo from when it was 12 years old.

[Bruce in OK]

>>And man do I miss those gorgeous chromed finders and pipes!

There was something both romantic and theraputic about the old UJM bikes--brand didn't matter. They were a cut above the (mainly) Brit bikes available around here in the early 70's. Finish and performance were the best available. I remember my brother bought a Suzuki 250 enduro--it was a big bike (before the CB 750 came along).

[Mr Jensee]

I agree with that. I knew some folks that had Triumphs, I had owned a Riverside, thought Italian bikes were just crap, and The only Harley's I was famliar with were 883 Sportsters and Electraglides. They just looked huge, heavy and intimidating to a kid in the 60's. But the Japanese bikes had beautiful chrome, cool paint jobs, and the Honda's sounded so tight and rattle free when rev'd up. Best of all they didn't leak oil all over the place like Harley's and Triumphs did. The Honda CB and CL 350 were are all the rage around here then. Seems everyone had them. Remember the Bridgestone 350 with the rotary valve engines? I knew a fella that had one here. It had so much chrome on it, it would blind you. And it was super fast for the times. Personally I wanted the Yamaha 350 street scramber (1969) but I couldn't come up with the thousand dollar cost of it so I got a Yamaha 180 street scramber instead. I wish I had those days back again.

[Bruce in OK]

The 400 is also available without the fairing. I think it is my favorite.



Here is a photo of the 2011 Special Edition models:



**Photo credits: All pics are from Honda Japan's motorcycle website. Thank you for allowing me to copy and paste.

[34Mike]

A nice 400cc bike would be just the ticket for rides around town and short hops in the country.

That is what I bought the XII for...Short hops to get groceries and I use it every day for going to work(75 miles round trip).
The Voyager is light & nimble feeling and works great for what I bought it for.
Compared to my Royal Star Venture, well lets just say I can't even imigane riding the Voyager on long trips. I know it works great for tons of folks but for me the Venture is way more comfy and a much smoother ride.

[Bruce in OK]

This is my current stable:



The little red rocket (250 cc's of fuel injected fun) is my errand running/going to church on Sunday machine. With a tall shield, you can stay warm enough practically all year round. It's so much lighter and more nimble than the VXII.



The Nighthawk is even more light and tons of fun--just not as much cargo capacity as the Vespa. I have taken both on day trips, but would prefer a bit more horsepower. I think 400cc's is all I would need. I've looked at W650's and Honda's NT. The W would get the nod right now. Incidentally, it was made as a 400cc bike, but never made it into the United States.

This bike (550cc Kawasaki Zephyr, inline 4) was a lot of fun, but I couldn't keep from twisting the throttle. I sold it when my oldest son turned 16. I didn't want to turn him loose on a naked sport bike and knew I wouldn't be able to keep him from wanting to. Besides, the way I rode it, I could have just as easily become a statistic.

[HMB Don]

I to am fond of the small motorcycles. Both of my sons rode small displacement motorcycles, to learn on it was a YZ80 Yamaha MX motorcycle. When they could afford to buy there own, one choose a FZR400 and the other a Susuki 450 twin. The Susuki was a better street starter bike. The problem with the FZR400 was the price $4000 in 1988, but what a dream to ride.

That Honda CB400 from the mid seventys was the same sweet riding and fast for a 400. A friend of mine had a CB350 Honda smooth and it would get up a go but you had to rev it. Tack needle would be at 8000 rpm in fifth gear at 80 mph. The FZR had a redline of 14,000 rpm. All this with no oil leaks!

Until 1995 all of my motorcycles were 550 cc or smaller. I also had a CB500 Honda with a Vetter Fairning. I still have that motorcycle.

Don Medina
2012 Voyager 1700