First Sports for new rider VFR 400?

[123vinesh]

Hello fellow Pistonheads,

I have been reading Pistonheads for a while, and guess I am looking for some advice. I am learning to ride hopefully will have my DAS done by the end of the month. Anyway i am looking to get a sports bike, purely because i love the look of them. Ideally i would like to spend sub £1,500. Bikes I love the look of is a VFR 400, a mate of mine has also brought a FZR recently which looks goods. Anyway can somebody recommend other bikes I might consider based on the above two examples? Also what are the pros and cons of getting a VFR 400. They seem to be hard to come by at that price? Hope this makes sense as it is my first post!

Thanks

[YamR1V64motion]

the VFRs and RVFs are in my opinion the best 400s, they handle the best and sound the best, performance wise and power wise thier all pretty similar, the reason thier more than the others is quite a few people seem to prefer them and so they command a bit f a premium, ive seen good condition RVF 400s (thier the worst for it) going for more than you could buy an early R6 for!!, if you looking for a 400 though i wouldnt rule out the ZXR either, cant comment on the FZR as ive never ridden one but the GSXR isnt great in my opinion, good luck with the test.

[hiccy]

I really like the sound of a VFR400 with a decent end can, only thing that put me off buying one was the size, there was a distinct belly/tank interface problem before I even started on the elbow/knees issue. If the bike suits your size, you have the budget for it, why worry about anything else? Get the one you like!

[YamR1V64motion]

hiccy said:

I really like the sound of a VFR400 with a decent end can, only thing that put me off buying one was the size, there was a distinct belly/tank interface problem before I even started on the elbow/knees issue. If the bike suits your size, you have the budget for it, why worry about anything else? Get the one you like!

i know what you mean about the size, i had an RVF as my first proper bike after passing my test and it wasnt the greatest comfort wise as im 6 ft 1 but it was deinatly worth putting up with, i would still have one as a second bike today.

[R5GTTgaz]

When you look at a VFR400 NC30 check around the head stock for cracks, they are very weak.

Mine decided to break after a bit of a tank slapper after having a bit of competition with friend over getting air off a hump back bridge.

I went straight out and replaced it with an NC35 RVF and you can see the massive amount of bracing that Honda have added to the front.

The NC35 was the fantastic, at Cadwell it was phenomenal. They can run out of breath on the road though I found that trying to keep up with mates 120 mph cruising is a bit awkward when they start to press on.

[123vinesh]

thanks for responses, given me a lot to think about. One other question, how important is mileage on these bikes, for example i have my eye on VFR @ 23,000 miles, is this an issue? It seems these bikes can get a bit expense past a certain point to maintain?

i also have a link to the bike i have been looking at below:- Again any advice appreciated, also after some suggestions for other bikes as well please.

http://atsearch.autotrader.co.uk/www/bikes_popup.j...

[R5GTTgaz]

You need someone good to do the valve shims IIRC every 16k miles, other than that its normal regular stuff. The are known to drop valves if they are neglected / abused.

It would probably pay you to get the suspension overhauled. I had the forks revalved for my weight and a jack up plate put on the rear to make it easier for my height and to improve turn in. I've seen a few with over 50k on them.

[aph202]

R5GTTgaz said:

You need someone good to do the valve shims IIRC every 16k miles, other than that its normal regular stuff. The are known to drop valves if they are neglected / abused.

It would probably pay you to get the suspension overhauled. I had the forks revalved for my weight and a jack up plate put on the rear to make it easier for my height and to improve turn in. I've seen a few with over 50k on them.

How much were you looking at for a suspension overhaul?

Adrian.

[lawrence567]

Why not try the CBR400 aka baby blade.?

[rich_vw]

Hey there,

I was too looking for a VFR400 after passing my test but for a couple of quid more I baught a 96 CBR 600, this made a little more sense to me:

1. Newer
2. Parts earier to come by
3. Comfy as hell (when compared to other sports bike)
4. Not too bad on insurance etc.
5. Would keep feeling like I wanted more
6. More choice
7. Bullet proof

Same can be said for the Thundercat of the era

Rich

[lawrence567]

I have a 2002 thundercat, brilliant bike!

[podman]

rich_vw said:

Hey there,

I was too looking for a VFR400 after passing my test but for a couple of quid more I baught a 96 CBR 600, this made a little more sense to me:

1. Newer
2. Parts earier to come by
3. Comfy as hell (when compared to other sports bike)
4. Not too bad on insurance etc.
5. Would keep feeling like I wanted more
6. More choice
7. Bullet proof

Same can be said for the Thundercat of the era

Rich

Wise choice, all the 400's are old bikes now and apart from an oil and filer change now and again ive not seen one thats had a spanner laid on the cycle parts for a long time.

Budget £1500 for the bike and a good deal more for suspension overhaul,brakes,bearings,you can safely say to get them as they should be you can add another £500 to that,more if you need a rear shock .

An aftermarket can on a VFR may well mean soneone has cut the original off from the link pipe to fit it and you may struggle MOT time..

The Honda commands a bit of a premium as its better finished,more robust and has that lovely 4 V lump.

Official "UK" NC's where just shy of the price of a brand new CBR1000 in 1989/90 so where always top dollar.

Id go for a 600 everytime...unless I found a mint NS400 again...

[R5GTTgaz]

aph202 said:

R5GTTgaz said:

You need someone good to do the valve shims IIRC every 16k miles, other than that its normal regular stuff. The are known to drop valves if they are neglected / abused.

It would probably pay you to get the suspension overhauled. I had the forks revalved for my weight and a jack up plate put on the rear to make it easier for my height and to improve turn in. I've seen a few with over 50k on them.

How much were you looking at for a suspension overhaul?

Adrian.

I am fortunate to live near to Greame France who did my forks for about 200quid. He is well known on the 400cc forums and does a lot of race bike building, top man. The rear jack up plate can be made for about a 5er.

[Twit]

One of my bikes is an FZR400RR which is a great bike! I very very rarely ride it these days as I have no time but its a great buzz when I do as its quite quick and to ride it you really have to get into a crouch etc as its so small! Makes every ride feel great!

The one thing with 400s is that they are great to learn about handling and lines. They are not that quick in a straight line but you can carry great speed through corners and they are so easy to position. In my view they are better than a lot of 600 sports bikes with one proviso... You have to be able to fit on one! 6 foot plus is getting tight, I'm six foot and once warmed up its fine but its a bit of cramp to start with. Also, if you are over 11-12 stone then forget it as they were never really designed for that size of person; if you fit they are great!

As has been said, check any 400 carefully as they do get a bit abused by younger / newer riders...

[wassy]

Read this article on Visordown about the pitfalls of buying a used sports bike.
Might be worth buying from a dealer. You pay a bit more but at least you have a warranty and the sale of goods act.

http://www.visordown.com/articles/view/why_a_&#163...

[nw_sonic]

i just bought an NC30 yesterday afer a 10 year break from riding, paid £1000 for it in vgc , very easy to ride and suits my stature ( 5' 6" lol )
im looking forward to some nicer weather to enjoy it properly