Market Rules – 1986 Honda NS400R

To have been in a 1986 showroom – Suzuki had the RG500 and Yamaha the RZ500, but Honda again went for a bit more lightness and made their GP replica a 400, which at least made sense in Japan.  This example from north of the border really shines considering its nearly 16K miles. 1986 Honda…

Featured Listing: 1986 Honda NS400R for Sale

Update 11.15.2018: This bike has SOLD in less than a day! Congratulations to buyer and seller! -dc Honda considered themselves to be a four-stroke company and had to be dragged, kicking and screaming into the two-stroke GP era. After the abject failure, at least in terms of race results, of their oval-pistoned NR500, Honda finally…

Featured Listing: 1985 Honda NS400R

Update 4.28.2018: SOLD! Congratulations to buyer and seller! -dc Despite giving up 100cc to the competition, Honda’s mid-’80s GP replica made waves when it was new for its build and ride quality, which proved hard to match for the 500cc offerings from Suzuki and Yamaha. Though the bigger bikes easily outpaced the Honda, Big Red’s…

Triple Time: 1986 Honda NS400R for Sale

Honda’s two-stroke NS400R was ostensibly intended to capitalize on their Grand Prix racing efforts, but with less displacement and one fewer cylinder than rivals from Suzuki and Yamaha, it got lost in the shuffle at the time and suffered from a perceived lack of hairy-chestedness, compared to its 500cc competition. So why did Honda go with…

Three to Get Ready: 1986 Honda NS400R for Sale

The 1980s were a very exciting time in the motorcycling world, especially for fans of Japanese bikes, and a huge variety of machines were available in a dizzying array of configurations: two-strokes and four-strokes, singles, twins, triples, fours, and even six-cylinder engines. And it wasn’t just engines that saw the application of innovative new technologies:…

Threesome: 1986 Honda NS400R

The Honda NS400R is a bit of an odd duck in the annals of rare bike collections. Bigger than a 250 but lacking the brutal thrust of the 500cc smokers, the V-3 two stroke is neither fish nor fowl. Nearly all other two strokes are apples to the NS400R orange. With typical Honda flair and…

Featured Listing: 1986 Honda NSR400R for Sale

Update 6.1.2016: Sold in just one week! Congratulations to buyer and seller! -dc If Honda’s history of brilliant technical innovation has a downside, it’s that it sometimes posits answers to questions no one actually asked. Some recent missteps like their sophisticated but overweight and expensive VFR sport-tourer suggest that they’ve just recently lost their way.…