400cc motorcycles - Chinese, Japanese and domestic models: specifications

2024 Author: Erin Ralphs | [email protected]. Last modified: 2024-02-19 11:42

400cc motorcycles are among the most affordable on the secondary market, prices are low even among Japan's so-called "Big Four" firms - Kawasaki, Honda, Yamaha and Suzuki. However, motorcycles with such an engine size, in addition to a very lifting price, have both advantages and some disadvantages, or rather, features.

About popularity

Due to the fact that for a relatively small price you can become the owner of a good device, 400cc motorcycles have been and remain popular in Russia and the former Soviet Union. Old age does not bother almost anyone, because the manufacturing countries monitor the quality of the equipment they produce. In the case of Japan, 400cc motorcycles are intended exclusively for the domestic market. It has to do with the nature of taxation. For example, the Yamaha SR 400 motorcycle was first released in 1978 in two versions: 400 and 500 cubes, for the domestic market and for export, respectively. The difference between the two motorcycles, in addition to cubic capacity, was also in the piston stroke.

But it is impossible to meet an old Chinese motorcycle of 400 cubic meters: two-wheeled vehicles with an engine capacity of more than 250 are prohibited in this countrycm3, and Chinese manufacturers produce large cubic capacity exclusively for export. 400-cc Chinese devices began to appear on the wave of popularity among motorcyclists, especially beginners, of this engine size.

Why they are loved

Besides the price, 400cc bikes have one more feature. This is the look. As mentioned above, Japanese models of this volume were produced mainly for the domestic market of the country, and many models have a modification with this volume, for example, the same Honda Bros was also produced as a 650 cc. A small consumption of gasoline (from 4 liters per 100 km when driving on the highway, depending on weather conditions and speed) will allow you to learn to ride without spending too much on fuel. But another important plus is the weight. 400cc motorcycles weigh an average of 150-180kg. There are no motorcyclists who do not fall, so (especially for girls) you need to ride a motorcycle that a person is able to lift from the road. In addition, there are times when you need to roll the bike (this is not always a breakdown, sometimes you can, for example, "bypass" a traffic jam).

Perfect for beginners

A sane person will never choose a motorcycle with a large cubic capacity as his first "horse". Such a technique not only accelerates very, very quickly (1-2.8 seconds to a hundred kilometers on a 600 cc bike), but also has sharp traction and, of course, excellent brakes. To this it should be added that at speed any maneuver must be accurately measured, therefore, among beginners on powerful motorcycles, falls are not uncommon.due to loss of control or due to the fact that "too much with the brakes."

400cc bikes are ideal for beginners. Someone will say that such a volume is small, they will quickly get bored and want something more, and they will be wrong, because a 400-cc device can easily “make” any car and accelerates to two hundred kilometers per hour. But in racing, the skill of the pilot is more important than the power of the engine. But even if a novice motorcyclist sensibly decides not to drive his "six hundred" until he gets comfortable with the controls, nothing insures him against various cases on the road, where the correct reflexes must also be applied to the smart head, which will save from serious injuries. Without enough skill to unleash the potential of 400cc, is there any point in taking something more?

State of technology

400cc Japanese motorcycles are mostly oldies, like the Honda Bros 400, a cool, aggressive design with a twin-cylinder V-twin engine produced from 1988 to 1992. Thus, the Japanese "four hundred" may already be well over twenty, and with proper care, the equipment can last longer, but who can guarantee that the former owner looked after his bike well? There are also relatively recent models, for example, the Honda CB400SS, released in 2005, but buying used equipment is always a kind of lottery: you almost never know what the mileage is, what circle the odometer goes in, how many owners there were and how the device was serviced. Many negligent drivers do not consider it necessary to properly monitor the equipment, knowingthat they will sell it in a couple of seasons, so if you are not versed in motorcycle technology, you need to go for an inspection with a mechanic - many services provide such a service for a small fee, or at least take an experienced motorcycle friend with you.

About the price

Age is the main disadvantage of 400cc horses, and in connection with it, a problem is born in finding spare parts. On the other hand, Chinese manufacturers, seeing a gold mine in this cubic capacity, began to produce models for export, especially for Russia and the CIS countries. A Chinese motorcycle, the 400 cc Lifan LF, which is now produced in the Moscow region, in the city of Zhukovsky, and is called the Stels 400 Cruiser, has become a completely successful model. The domestic company Stels quite successfully joined the market by releasing its 400 cubic meters motorcycle, the price also does not stand out from the general one in this niche, and amounts to 100-150 thousand for a new device. In fact, the Stels Cruiser and Lifan LF are copies of the Yamaha Virago, a very successful model produced in the nineties and given a new life thanks to the Chinese auto industry.

China vs Japan

So, to sum it up, 400cc bikes can be either Japanese or Chinese (mind the rare exceptions). The motorcyclist is faced with a choice: either a new Chinese or an old Japanese man, which is better? There is no clear answer here. Buying Chinese technology is still a lottery, because this country can be called the record holder for the frequency of factory defects. Perhaps the owner is lucky, and the same Lifan runs withoutbreakdowns for the first few years, and for someone the same model may break in a couple of weeks. Experienced motorcyclists are advised to sort out a Chinese motorcycle immediately after purchase, eliminate, if any, assembly errors and replace low-quality parts, and only then ride. In this case, the equipment will work properly. In addition, the owner can hope for a guarantee, which, of course, no one will give when buying used equipment.

Japanese motorcycles that have exchanged their second and even third decade can also be "young" only on the outside. If the motorcycle was in good hands, it will never let you down and will become a reliable companion. If you spent your two-wheeled life without proper care, it will be a real torment for the new owner, especially considering that for many models it is now very difficult to get parts.

And the years go by, or About the sale of "Asians"

Sooner or later, a motorcyclist will want to change his transport, and the bike will need to be sold. Despite the fact that a new 400 cc Chinese motorcycle will cost the same when buying as an old Japanese man, after two or three years it will lose a lot in price. The cost of motorcycles is falling rapidly, especially for Chinese devices. Selling your Chinese horse, even for a third of the original price, can be difficult, because people are distrustful of the Chinese auto industry.

But a Japanese motorcycle aged 20 or even 30 years old will hardly lose in price for those couple of years that it takes a motorcyclist to break in his first bike andunderstand what you want from technology. In any case, it will be easier to sell it than the Chinese counterpart.

A little more about newbies

The 400cc motorcycle is the golden mean, but still not a toy. As mentioned above, he will give odds to the car and can give speeds up to two hundred kilometers per hour, but at the same time the bike is calm enough and will forgive the beginner some mistakes. However, if there is very little driving experience, you need to treat the motorcycle of this group with caution and be aware that this is far from being a moped. Critical situations on the road happen, it can be not only the actions of other drivers, but also surface irregularities. Even in a powerful car, the transferred gas or the brake applied too sharply will mainly lead only to financial losses - dented bumpers, fenders, etc., and a reflexively pinched front brake on a motorcycle can lead to a hospital bed. Therefore, before choosing a motorcycle, you need to present clear requirements to it, and not look at the power, choosing something “cooler” in the absence of knowledge and skills aimed at realizing the potential of the bike.