The Honda CBR400 was produced between 1988 and 2000 and was a perfect middle step between the entry-level 250RR and the supersport 600. Don’t let that “learner bike” displacement fool you: the CBR400 was in every way a grown-up sportbike: the liquid-cooled inline-four featured gear-driven cams, a six-speed gearbox, triple disc brakes, and a lightweight, aluminum beam frame. All squeezed into a package that looked very much like a CBR900 that had been a bit shrunk in the wash… It was limited to a mere 59hp due to Japanese licensing requirements but, as you’d imagine, more power is readily available if you de-restrict it, and the resulting 70hp is more than enough to play with on the street or on tight circuits that favor handling over outright power.
This does look very similar to a CBR400 posted last month, with identical colors and similar miles, but it seems to be different bike: that one was in Georgia, this one in Canada, and some of the accessories are different as well.
From the original eBay listing: 1994 CBR400RR NC29 Fireblade for Sale
Very Rare Bike in North America. Japanese only model imported to UK, then to Canada. 4 cylinder 4 stroke beauty that makes around 65Hp. 17,300Km mileage. Beautifully engineered and top quality components of the day. 3x previous mature owners. Has large scratch on Right Engine cover from falling over during maintenance. Some other minor dings and scrapes. Never raced or dropped on road. In excellent mechanical condition: Recent full tune up to include all liquids replaced and systems flushed, Carbs cleaned, new battery, new spark plugs, valves timed and adjusted, new brake pads, new front tire, lots of rubber on rear, new chain and sprockets, Runs like new. This is a very fun bike to ride. Handles very well. Its a little bigger than a 250cc machine but has the torque and zip of larger machine thanks to the 400cc engine. Great bike for new rider looking for unique/quality ride or for Collector looking for outstanding example of early 1990’s exclusive Japanese machinery. Looks just like 3/4 version of early Honda 929 models. Becoming collector item in Europe and in North America. Comes with front and rear paddock stands, shop manual (in English) and original owners manual in Japanese. Have British and Canadian paperwork. I just don’t have time to ride anymore. Asking price of $5900.00 Canadian. Am willing to negotiate. Buyer responsible for pickup/delivery. Plated and registered in Province of Ontario, Canada. Serious Buyers only please, no test pilots.
The $5,900 Canadian asking price equates to about $4,476 US, a very decent price for one of these, as recent CBR400s have sold in the $4,000-$5,500 range, depending on year and condition. The seller claims this has been recently serviced, features fresh rubber and is otherwise ready to roll. That black/burgundy paint scheme is pretty subtle, but I wonder if fans of the CBR are actually more interested in garish race-replica colors… In any event, the price is very reasonable, considering where recent examples have ended up. Obviously, US buyers will have to jump through some hoops after purchase, but that price is low enough to justify the effort. It’d make an ideal bike for someone of smaller stature, or someone who just wants to be different. Or someone who enjoys smoking much bigger bikes on tight roads with the throttle pinned to the stop.
-tad
I am the ever optimist here usually . I like this bike and it looks like it has potential . So instead of being negative I offer a little hint/message to the seller . Put a pic in detail of the left side too for your auction ….especially on E-bay . You wrote ” bike fell over on right hand side” but did he not include a pis or pics of the left side . Just some friendly advice . I do wish the seller good luck with their sale & I am a fellow Canadian . 🙂
Every time I read the write up about 400cc sports bike, there seems to be a slight misconception about them. 400cc class sports bike like CBR-RR they weren’t made to be a little brother of a bigger bikes, like 600cc. As a matter of fact, in Japanese market, 600cc class was non existent, because there’s no incentive for 600cc class at all. Back then, the way the licensing system works, limited mid-class license allows up to 400cc, then with unlimited, you normally go up to 750cc class and up. And there’s also no 600cc class in the international racing class (F1-750 4t/500 2t, F3-400 4t/250 2t, GP500, 250, 125, so on) 600cc had absolutely no place in Japan. So when those were made, 400cc were made as obsessively as most 750 were made. That’s why, for example, FZR400 had aluminium frame while 600 had, shockingly, heavier, weaker steel frame. Those 400 super sports were never meant to be a learner bike at all.
Odd, neither the plate on the bike or the car are from Ontario. Just saying…
Thanks for chiming in. Yeah, I’m aware that they are most definitely not intended to be “learner bikes” in their home market, and I didn’t mean to misrepresent them, if that’s how it sounded. That’s sort of how anything 600cc and below is viewed here in the USA, so my posts take that sort of tone as a reaction, like I’m trying to head the less-educated reader off at the pass before they scoff at something like a CBR250RR. What I’m trying to say is something like, “Even though small-displacement bikes are generally cheap, cheerful learner bikes here in the good ol’ US of A, don’t dismiss this NC30, NC29, FZR400 or whatever as being beneath your abilities, even if you’re a seasoned rider, as they were built with much more performance than something like a 250 Ninja…”
A lack of good pics is one of my pet peeves: you want me to plunk down several [or many] thousand dollars, but can’t be bothered to wheel your possibly very tired classic out into the driveway for a few well-lit pictures? Those super-brief listings also bug me: “Very rare, high-performance motorcycle. Runs good, very fast! Tires have 90% tread.” And don’t bother just copy/pasting the brochure into your listing: if you’re trying to sell an enthusiast-type bike, potential buyers already know all about it, most likely, and tire sizes, rake and trail, ignition system and other specs aren’t really going to convince us to buy the bike. What we really want to know is stuff like: what updates have been done and when was the last service performed? Does the bike include any spares? How long have you owned it? And so on. And it was “tuned” by a reputable shop? Exactly what work did they do?
I requested more photos from the seller and he emailed me a bunch of good ones, and the bike looks very nice. He sent a detailed description of flaws and condition, and says he took it to the UK for a year and returned with it to Canada, which may explain the plate. Because of the attractive price, I looked for the first time into importing into California. Ouch. Has anyone done this, and is it really this complicated?:
https://www.dmv.ca.gov/portal/dmv/detail/pubs/brochures/howto/htvr9a