Location: Alpharetta, Georgia
Mileage: 10,530
Price: Auction, starting at $3,999
The 400 cc bike has never really achieved mass market appeal here in the US. I’m sure there are plenty of reasons, but the one I’ve always heard the most is Americans don’t like small bikes. You need 600 cc’s at a minimum to get anyone’s interest. Well, that’s really too bad. If handling means as much to you as power, the 400 cc bike is an intriguing option. And this bike also happens to be a knockout in the looks department.
Some more pics of this beauty-
Powered by the obligatory 16-valve in-line four, the CBR400RR cranked out roughly 50 ponies and had a redline of a whopping 14,500 rpm. And a dry weight of roughly 360 lbs. And came with an advanced suspension that allowed the bike to handle like what you would expect from something called a Fireblade.
Info from the seller-
1993 Honda NC29 Gull-Arm CBR400RR Very Rare Gray Market Collector Bike from my private collection. 16,947 km or 10,530 original miles. Baby FireBlade, 400cc little brother to the CBR900RR. This model was never imported to the United States. This would make a great track day or race bike. If you can get it tagged, it would make a great weekend canyon carver as well.
Motorcycle has a 2006 CBR600RR Front end and it handles incredibly well. With the low center of gravity and the modern front end, this bike will smoke the larger bikes in the twisties. New Plastics from Hong Kong, they look good, but required a little modification to clear the throttle cables and a little creativity here and there. Side cases are scraped and I found them at http://www.davidsilverspares.co.uk/home/ in the UK if you feel the need. I already have the gasket sets. The frame is straight and solid. Bike comes with the original front forks and front wheel, minus the triple tree which has been lost, as well as a Haynes service and repair manual. The forks are still in good shape, not wrecked, just wanted modern handling. Tires are good, front is a race tire. Has minor dings and scrapes for an 18 year old bike but looks awesome for it’s age. Minor ding on top of tank pictured below.Just changed the Oil & Filter, Radiator Flush & Fill, New Plugs, Cleaned Carbs, runs strong. Pulls hard in the power band. Starts runs and shifts as it should once warmed up. No leaks, smoking or funny noises, other than the unique sound of gear driven cams ;). This model was ahead of it’s time with Gear Driven Cams and Gull Arm Swingarm. The engine has a unique sound and is very impressive for a 400. Specs: 400 cc liquid-cooled, four-stroke inline-four, gear-driven DOHC, 4 valves per cylinder.
Bike is sold as is with no warranty, Bill of Sale only. This is a Japanese Gray Market bike and may or may not be able to be tagged in your area of the country. It has been done but I make no guarantees. Inspections must take place before bidding if you desire. Your bid is a contract and a $500.00 non-refundable deposit by PayPal is required within 24 hours of the end of the auction, with the balance due by cash or certified funds within 3 days, which must be cleared before the bike is released. I will meet with your shipper, but transportation and pick up is your responsibility. If your shipper will not take the parts, I can ship them by FedEx Ground for an extra shipping charge. Try www.uship.com for shipping bids. I reserve the right to end this auction at any time. Starting bid is a bargain, good luck bidding!
From the description there are clearly some changes to the bike. Fairing are replaced and the front end is from a CBR600RR which the seller claims improves the handling. The original forks are included but the triple tree has been lost and you may want to do some research on how difficult that may be to replace if you are interested in returning the bike to stock. There’s also some scrapes and a dent, highlighted in the photos. All of this should be considered when looking at the value of the bike. I think it also depends on what your looking for in the collecting v. riding department.
Regardless of the issues, the CBR400RR is a great bike that never made it stateside. And that is unfortunate. So you may want to consider this bike, issues and all. Also, its called a Fireblade. And gone are the days of cool names for bikes in the US. So that’s something.
If you like what you see and want to take a shot at this bike, make the jump!
-RN
hi all im a english guy that moved to the usa . my younger brother used to have one of these in the uk as a grey import. i rode it a few times was a little rocket once u got it buzzing tho the gears , the owner is also right they do handle great but remeber the japanese are alot smaller then us so may need a shock and heavier oil in the forks ..not sure how this one would handle with the later cbr600 front end tho … was a good alternative to a rgv250 and alot cheaper to run . no worn out pistons for sucked in power valves that the rgv used to suffer , but then also nothing like a two stroke on song ….
Richard- Always good to hear from someone with first hand experience on a bike!
Anyone notice that the serial number on the headstock looks like it’s been tampered with?
I wonder if the speedo still works with that front end swap? I’m pretty sure those machines had cable driven speedo off the front wheel……please correct me if I’m wrong. I would still LOVE to have one of these, along with an RVF 400……..maybe one day (sigh).
I doubt that the 600RR had a speedo sensor on the front wheel. Most, like my NC35, got the speed info from the gearbox. Changing sprockets always messes up speedo accuracy. Even RC30s had issues when you went from the 18″ rear to a 17″er.
hi there everyone,im thinkin foward to buy cbr400,as i got cheated once in shanghai i bought one that didnt even start the bike im just wondering those these bike exist as a workable one these days? if anyone have got experience with these can u please tell me about it thank you~(^_^)