Montross, VA – 20,937mi – Currently $5,500
The year was 1983 and Freddie Spenser had just become the youngest 500cc champion ever. Fast forward a couple years, and Honda had released what it claimed to be a replica for the road of Spencer’s machine. Okay, it may be 100cc smaller than the original, and way more refined for the daily use. However it does share in common the compact V3 engine configuration that Honda used to take the title. This light weight (359lbs) and powerful little package had enough gusto to make 1000cc 4-strokes of the day sit up and take notice. Being praised all around in handling, steering, and braking, the NS400R sure was a force to be reckoned with.
From the seller:
Wow, up for auction is my prized 1986 Honda NS400R. Here is your chance to own a very cool and very, very rare street-legal GP replica sport bike. If you are reading this you probably know what this bike is and how rare it is to find one in this condition in the US. The NS400R is arguably the rarest of the three GP replica bikes released for the street – much rarer than the RZ500 and probably a bit rarer than the RG500. It was derived from Honda’s championship-winning NSR400 and NSR500 GP bikes of the early 80’s. I have never seen another one here in the US. I personally imported this bike from Canada back in 2011 and have been enjoying it ever since. It has a clear Virginia title in my name and is legally registered for street use. Cosmetically the bike is in very nice condition for its age, with only 33500 km (20937 miles) on the clock. Being a Honda, the fit and finish of this bike is top notch. The paint, body panels, and seat are in great condition for their age, and the tires have plenty of useable tread remaining. Minor blemishes to note are a small chip in the headlight lens that does not affect the performance of the light, a few minor scratches on the tank near the front of the seat (probably from a belt buckle or jacket zipper), 2 minor nicks on the tank near the gas cap that were touched up, and some very minor paint loss on the top edge of the right-side lower fairing where the kick-start lever sometimes contacts it. Also, the original fueling decal on the top of the tank just behind the gas cap was removed some time ago but you can still see where it was. These blemishes are minor in my opinion but I wanted to mention them just the same, and I tried to capture them accurately in the photos. I don’t think they detract at all from the overall brilliance of this fine machine. All the lights, blinkers, horn, etc operate properly. Starts on the 2nd or 3rd kick when cold, and on the first kick once it is warmed up. The bike idles smoothly, and runs, shifts, and stops like it should. Surprisingly quick and nimble for a 400, and combined with that great 2-stroke sound we all love, makes this bike a blast to ride! The bike is located in Montross, VA22520, and prospective buyers can inspect it prior to the end of the auction. The bike is also for sale locally so I reserve the right to end the auction early for a local sale. Winning bidder must take care of all shipping arrangements but I will assist the shipper with loading the bike. Depending on the location of the winning bidder, I may also be able to deliver the bike for an additional fee. As usual, the bike is sold “as is where is” with no warranty. Please review the photos and I’ll be happy to answer any questions. The reserve is set low and my feedback score speaks for itself, so bid with confidence and don’t miss out on a great opportunity to own a rare piece of motorcycling history!
Well, the seller does a good job of talking details of the bike and highlighting a couple small imperfections in the paint (pictures included). Overall it seems like a hell of an example of an NS400R for sale right here in the U.S. I can easily see this bike going for $7k-$8k easily and maybe more. These are the ads we like to see! If you agree, you can check out the auction here and place your bid!
-JS
This guy is out my way. I bet it’s the same guy who sold the rz500 last month. Seems he has an eclectic mix.
Bike looks nice, need to be a honda guy though, I had one before, was a boring bike, not an RZ500 or RG500, not even RZ350,
These seem to be popping up for sale quite a bit
[…] now to the big quetion – what is the market value for an NS400R? Given the last bike we saw here on RSBFS is still at auction ($6,600 with reserve still in place), that should put it in the ballpark for […]
Sold for $10,099 -JS
Congratulations to buyer and seller!
dc