Best 400cc Motorcycles
2019-07-24 22:11:44 0 3509
The engine capacity of 400 cubic centimeters is the ticket to the world of large motorcycles, both for beginners and experienced motorcyclists.
Such bikes combine good handling and dynamics, stylish design, but a very affordable price, speed and safety.
Advantages of 400 cc over larger displacement bikes:
- Obedience.
These motorcycles have a dynamic but obedient engine that will not allow the biker to forget and lose his head. It has a calmer character and does not provoke rash actions, although it can give a head start to its more powerful brothers by accelerating up to 200 km/h; - Weight.
Mid-sized bikes have a relatively light weight, about 170 kg, they are easy to control and also easy to pick up if a fall occurs; - Price.
Both new and used motorcycles are not expensive and will be affordable for both beginners and experienced riders; - Appearance.
Most of these motorcycles are designed in Japan, and they know a lot about motorcycle design. In addition, there are several European manufacturers who are actively nipping at the heels of their Asian competitors.
Honda CB 400 SF
A simple and reliable motorcycle, all over the world it is considered one of the best for beginners. The CB 400 has a four-cylinder, sixteen-valve, liquid-cooled engine. The power of the unit is enough to accelerate the bike to 190 km/h. Front and rear disc brakes.
Honda 400 X
The motorcycle is a sports touring motorcycle, it began production in 2013 and is constantly being improved. Equipment includes a large windshield, LED headlights, ABS and an electronic dashboard. The engine on the motorcycle is a two-cylinder with a power of 46 hp.
KTM 390 Duke
Motorcycle from a famous Austrian manufacturer. The engine capacity is only 390 cc, but the single-cylinder engine produces 44 hp. The bike has an excellent design, reliable construction and is equipped with a large number of electronic safety systems.
Yamaha Drag Star 400
Classic cruiser with a four-stroke and two-cylinder engine. The maximum speed is only 135 km/h, so this motorcycle is suitable for a calm but confident ride. The gearbox is a five-speed manual transmission, the drive to the rear wheel is via a cardan shaft.
Kawasaki ER-4N
A travel naked, great for both city trips and short country trips. The maximum speed is 170 km/h, which is quite enough, since the motorcycle is not equipped with a windshield. The motorcycle covers the first hundred kilometers in just 5.5 seconds, but its main advantage is its appearance. Excellent dynamic design combined with good riding characteristics make this motorcycle one of the best in its class.
Road
Comfortable ride, economical gas mileage, easy cornering. Road motorcycles are needed by those who value their time and mobility. Tired of traffic jams, and you still don’t have enough money for an expensive bike, choose one of these representatives of the class.
Yamaha YBR 125
One of the most popular and sought-after Japanese motorcycles in Russia. You will always find spare parts for it, experts in terms of operation and former or current owners of this model. The compact, dynamic bike is easy to control and produces 10 horsepower. Powered by a four-stroke single-cylinder engine, it requires only 1.7 liters of gasoline per 100 km. ways. Unpretentious in maintenance. It is in demand and is still produced to this day.
From 90,000 - 137,000 rub.
Honda CBR 250R
A leader in the Japanese motorcycle industry, released in 1987. Owners appreciate the model for its simple suspension, low weight (161 kg), and reliable disc brakes. Having a 27-horsepower engine, the CBR accelerates to one hundred in almost 9 seconds, reaches a speed of 147 km/h and consumes 4.16 liters of fuel per hundred kilometers. You can find configurations with ABS.
From 95,000 - 157,000 rub.
Suzuki Bandit 250
Terrible on the outside, docile on the inside. Bandit has quite aggressive lines, but remains one of the easiest motorcycles to ride. The 250 cc engine produces 40 hp. The suspension consists of a steel and aluminum swingarm with a monoshock absorber. According to the manufacturer, Bandit consumes only 2.44 liters per hundred.
From 80,000 - 136,000 rub.
Suzuki SV 400 S
Representative of the Japanese domestic market. The model was not released for export in a 400 cc configuration. It is equipped with a V-shaped 2-cylinder engine that will delight the owner with 53 horsepower and confident traction at low and medium speeds. It has a classic telescopic fork and simple piston brakes. It differs from many of its counterparts in its intricate tubular frame.
From 92,000 - 155,000 rub.
Yamaha TW 200
A dual-purpose motorcycle, or as they say in English-speaking countries, a scrambler. Can be used both on the highway and off-road. When choosing, pay attention to the wheels. They can be either road or studded. The front tire has a diameter of 18 inches, the rear - 14. The power is 16 hp. Transmission – 5-speed manual.
From 75,000 - 131,000 rub.
Suzuki VAN VAN
Available in 125 cc and 200 cc versions. Produced from 2002 to the present, it is in demand in Japan and the USA. It belongs to the class of scramblers and has an enlarged front wheel. The design is based on a steel half-duplex frame and the action is based on a 4-stroke engine. Equipped with a comfortable elongated saddle, easy to control and economical for city driving.
From 82,000 - 133,000 rub.
Honda CB 250
Known under the name Hornet, the model is often found on Russian roads. At the heart of the bike is the engine of the sports version of the CBR250RR. At the same time, the Hornet shows itself in all its glory at high speeds. It reaches speeds of up to 180 km/h and accelerates to hundreds in 5.3 seconds. It has good maneuverability and is indispensable in traffic jams.
From 95,000 - 136,000 rubles.
Suzuki Volty
A find for fans of retro style. It has a comfortable low seating position, combines smooth lines, a steel frame, a shortened saddle and an extended exhaust pipe in the exterior. Equipped with a 20-horsepower engine, 5-speed gearbox, front disc brake and rear drum brake. Thanks to its non-trivial design, it attracts the attention of other road users.
From 98,000 - 137,000 rub.
A little more about newcomers
A 400cc motorcycle is the golden mean, but still not a toy. As mentioned above, it will give a car a head start and can reach speeds of up to two hundred kilometers per hour, but at the same time the bike is quite calm and will forgive a beginner some mistakes. However, if you have very little driving experience, you need to treat a motorcycle in this group with caution and be aware that this is far from a moped. Critical situations on the road do happen; these can be caused not only by the actions of other drivers, but also by surface unevenness. Even in a powerful car, overpressuring the gas or pressing the brake too sharply will generally only lead to financial losses - dented bumpers, fenders, etc., and reflexively pressing the 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.
About popularity
Due to the fact that for a relatively low price you can become the owner of a good device, 400 cc motorcycles have been and remain popular in Russia and the former Soviet Union. Old age does not bother anyone, because manufacturing countries monitor the quality of manufactured equipment. In the case of Japan, 400 cc motorcycles are completely intended exclusively for the domestic market. This is due to the peculiarities of taxation. For example, the Yamaha SR 400 motorcycle was first released in 1978 in two versions: 400 and 500 cc, for the domestic market and for export, respectively. The difference between the two motorcycles, in addition to the cubic capacity, was also in the piston stroke.
But it is impossible to find an old Chinese motorcycle of 400 cc: in this country, two-wheeled vehicles with an engine capacity of more than 250 cm 3 are prohibited, 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.
About the price
Age is the main drawback of 400 cc horses, and this creates a problem 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 entered the market by releasing its 400cc motorcycle, the price also does not stand out from the general price 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 that was produced in the nineties and received a new life thanks to the Chinese auto industry.
Ideal for beginners
A sane person would never choose a motorcycle with a large cubic capacity as his first “horse”. This technique not only accelerates very, very quickly (1-2.8 seconds to one hundred kilometers for a 600 cc bike), but also has sharp traction and, of course, excellent brakes. It is worth adding to this that at speed any maneuver must be precisely measured, so among beginners on powerful motorcycles it is not uncommon to fall due to loss of control or due to “overdoing the brakes.”
400cc motorcycles are ideal for beginners. Someone will say that such a volume is small, you will quickly get bored and want something bigger, and they will be wrong, because a 400 cc machine 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 ride his 600 until he gets comfortable with the controls, nothing insures him against various incidents on the road, where his smart head must also have the right reflexes that will protect him from serious injuries. Without the skills to unlock the potential of the 400cc, is there any point in going for something bigger?
Why they are loved
Apart from the price, 400cc bikes have one more feature. This is the appearance. As mentioned above, Japanese models of this volume were produced mainly for the domestic market of the country, and many models have modifications with this volume, for example, the same Honda Bros was also produced as a 650 cc. Low gasoline consumption (from 4 liters per 100 km when driving on the highway, depending on weather conditions and speed) will allow you to learn to drive without spending too much on fuel. But another important plus is the weight. 400cc motorcycles weigh on average 150-180 kg. There are no motorcyclists who do not fall, therefore (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).
And the years go by, or about the sale of “Asians”
Sooner or later, the motorcyclist will have a desire to change his vehicle, and the bike will need to be sold. Despite the fact that a new 400 cc Chinese motorcycle will cost the same as an old Japanese motorcycle when purchased, after two or three years it will lose a lot in price. The cost of motorcycles is falling quickly, especially for Chinese vehicles. Selling your Chinese horse, even after knocking off a third of the original price, can be difficult, because people are distrustful of the Chinese auto industry.
China vs Japan
So, to summarize, 400cc motorcycles can be either Japanese or Chinese (let’s leave out rare exceptions). The motorcyclist is faced with a choice: either a new Chinese or an old Japanese, which is better? There is no clear answer here. Buying Chinese equipment is a lottery, because this country can be called a record holder for the frequency of factory defects. Perhaps the owner is lucky, and the same Lifan runs without breakdowns for the first few years, while for someone else the same model may break down in a couple of weeks. Experienced motorcyclists advise overhauling a Chinese motorcycle immediately after purchase, eliminating assembly errors, if any, and replacing low-quality parts, and only then ride. In this case, the equipment will work properly. In addition, the owner can rely on a guarantee, which, of course, no one will give when buying used equipment.
Japanese motorcycles that are in their second or even third decade may also turn out to 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 spend 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.
