My CB400SF Version S

Here's the new love of my life, the bike I bought on the Fantastic Fujian Adventure:
http://www.mychinamoto.com/forums/sh...jian-Adventure

Now that she's been cleaned up and is looking pretty..
http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6188/...742bd8ee_b.jpg
Love the rear light setup...

http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6202/...9e4156a6_b.jpg
Just after a quick polish :) Look after your bike, and she'll look after you :thumbsup:

http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6062/...75bafb33_b.jpg
Isn't she lovely... strange how I always meet pretty things when I'm drunk...

Going to the Bike market tomorrow to go and buy all the cool bits of bling etc, will post photos once everything's fitted :)

Is that an inline four? She must purrrrr!

Like the big twin rotors up front too. Stopping power?

Safe to guess that's a "don't ask, don't tell" Jiangsu plate?

Pretty beast indeed! Congratulations!

I think it's impossible to find a used bike in such mint condition, has to be brand new .. ok, i won't ask.

:) Inline four yes, seriously smooth and also has one heck of a powerband (scary in China...) It's a 1996 model and she's definately second hand.. What wonderful bikes.. CB400 FTW

They are certainly beautiful bikes, I've ridden a few. Although sadly that plate is illegal.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by ZMC888

They are certainly beautiful bikes, I've ridden a few. Although sadly that plate is illegal.

---

Nice bike great colour too a good clean defies its age;-)

How can you tell the plate is illegal??
I was thinking before to get a similar bike in Beijing in fact there are some really great import bikes on places like thebeijinger.com classifieds.

I found a Yam XJR 400 the guy said had a plate but had lost the documents...hmmmmm:-0
I then thought maybe as I am in BJ its best be cautious and look at a new genuine plated chinese bike

Whats the deal with these ads and bikes is it a scam or just illegal import and what happens if you get caught?
as TIC guess BJ / SH are most strict cities to police this.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Astroboy66

Nice bike great colour too a good clean defies its age;-)

How can you tell the plate is illegal??
I was thinking before to get a similar bike in Beijing in fact there are some really great import bikes on places like thebeijinger.com classifieds.

I found a Yam XJR 400 the guy said had a plate but had lost the documents...hmmmmm:-0
I then thought maybe as I am in BJ its best be cautious and look at a new genuine plated chinese bike

Whats the deal with these ads and bikes is it a scam or just illegal import and what happens if you get caught?
as TIC guess BJ / SH are most strict cities to police this.

---

Look basically if it comes from Japan it's probably dodgey, there are ways to sort things out and get things registered properly but it costs money, I'm sure there are threads on the forum dealing with that, that plate is just my show plate, my papers are being processed and the proper plate and papers will arrive soon :)

http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6188/...ffcdb52a_b.jpg

My cool new blingy parts

http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6066/...a7c94761_b.jpg

Lovely adjustable levers :)

Is it Christmas already?

I'm old school and never used adjustable levers before. What do the little red levers do?

Really nice bike! Great color.

Nyeh ... I'd leave the "su" plates on ... at least they're VBs ... the su plates running around Beijing are all VDs. :lol8:

Hi, wondering how much you paid for the shocks. Would also appreciate if you could report back on whether or not they work well for you.
CB400 is one of my favourite Hondas. I'm sure you're enjoying it.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Astoboy66

How can you tell the plate is illegal??
I was thinking before to get a similar bike in Beijing in fact there are some really great import bikes on places like thebeijinger.com classifieds.

I found a Yam XJR 400 the guy said had a plate but had lost the documents...hmmmmm:-0
I then thought maybe as I am in BJ its best be cautious and look at a new genuine plated chinese bike

Whats the deal with these ads and bikes is it a scam or just illegal import and what happens if you get caught?
as TIC guess BJ / SH are most strict cities to police this.

---

The Jiangsu H plates with regular bolts attaching them are a giveaway.

So the story goes like this:

In 1996 or 1998, I forget which, the government decided that all big bikes over 250cc should be made illegal. At this time there were many legally imported bikes which suit the Chinese road conditions quite well such as the gorgeous CB400 and XJR400. So plates were then removed from all these bikes that had been legally imported and registered. At the same time there was a growth in stolen bikes coming in from Hong Kong, which are usually more exotic.

So at the end of the story a Chinese cop seeing you riding a 92-98 CB400 will know that the bike was 'illegalised' and will likely be more forgiving than someone on a 2006 Sukuki 'busa that was nicked from HK.

Can a CB400 be retro-registered? Tough question, maybe yes with the right location and connections, maybe no. Better chances than a stolen HK bike for sure, and CB400s have better rider Karma too. Bike looks mint could be perfect, some are (20,000 RMB) some look perfect (10,000RMB) but have been dropped more times than a bar of wet soap.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Lao Jia Hou

Is it Christmas already?

I'm old school and never used adjustable levers before. What do the little red levers do?

Really nice bike! Great color.

Nyeh ... I'd leave the "su" plates on ... at least they're VBs ... the su plates running around Beijing are all VDs. :lol8:

---

Well, there are 6 settings, basically you can adjust how far away the levers will be from your grips (I suppose if you have a big hand or you want to get nice finger pull), also to suit different riding styles, if you feel the levers are too far away and you're reaching for them, you can make them closer.

http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6073/...ab972d8eb7.jpg

Here's one adjusted to 6

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Nuhaus

Hi, wondering how much you paid for the shocks. Would also appreciate if you could report back on whether or not they work well for you.
CB400 is one of my favourite Hondas. I'm sure you're enjoying it.

---

Those shocks cost RMB185 for the set at the wholesale bike market in Guangzhou, they're Chinese made, but they look good and I'm sure they'll be fine for a good long while, I'll let you know how they perform once they're on the bike, they're also re-fillable:

http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6199/...d6702d4e_b.jpg

Thanks, I need a set myself for a project I am renewing. At that price they're an steal as long as they work for a while. In my limited experience, having good shocks can make a large difference in the quality of the ride. Are you doing all the work yourself? I grow increasingly jealous of the other members living here in China who have actual mechanical skill and training.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Nuhaus

Thanks, I need a set myself for a project I am renewing. At that price they're an steal as long as they work for a while. In my limited experience, having good shocks can make a large difference in the quality of the ride. Are you doing all the work yourself? I grow increasingly jealous of the other members living here in China who have actual mechanical skill and training.

---

Working on bikes is half the fun of owning them, in fact I can't imagine what it's like owning a bike that doesn't have any problems.. I'd find things to change and tinker around on anyway... the only mechanical experience you need is having owned shit bikes that you're forced to fix yourself on shoestring budget, you'll get the hang of it (maybe go out and buy a barely running junker and use it to learn).

Great advice, Serpentza. I bought my first bike on my 52nd birthday, and made a point of getting a beater -- a bike that was running but had all kinds of "issues". Paid US$1000 for a 10-year-old KLR650 with 30000 miles on the meter. The fun started the first day, and I attended numerous "tech days" at which you wrench your bike in someone else's garage under the watchful eye of a bunch of guys who've seen it all before. Swapped out all kinds of parts, and really improved the running and reliability of my bike -- and met a bunch of straight shooters in the process. Would still love to start doing tech days here, but I'm afraid I'd have to be one of the presiding elder statesmen, a notion that does not give me comfort!

Anyway, this gave me far more confidence when I bought a new chinabike here in Shanghai a few months later. Though I've (thankfully) not had to do too much wrenching on the Jialing myself, I won't hesitate when the time comes.

cheers

Ok, there was a cb400 parked in my mate's Wuyang service shop. I was given chance to ride the bike for a few minutes.
First impression, the engine sound is stunning, silky smooth. Double triple quadruple peak power than my GS150. Feel a bit weight get on, but as soon as start moving, it's zippy. Absolute killer at straight, gear box less forgiving. Got a lot eyes on me too:naughty:. I rode her civilized but the the afternoon rush hour had given me a lot more room. I don't need to rev it high before realizing the vision became blur...No helmet on.
Oh, the engine dissipates huge amount of heat.

Yeah, you're right about the engine heat, I seriously noticed that. As soon as you slow down or come to a stop your legs get slow roasted.... Oh well, it's the price you pay for awesomeness :thumbsup:

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Serpentza

:thumbsup:

---

the own has got same levels as in your picture. But the mirror is not so good. Another impression is the stoping power. I could just forget the rear brake. The front is enough.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by td_ref

Another impression is the stoping power. I could just forget the rear brake. The front is enough.

---

Couldn't agree more, those dual front discs are killer, when I first got the bike I kept stopping way to hard.. some serious stopping power is always a good thing when you've got a fast bike... One thing, since it's a Japanese bike the lights are constantly on (you can't turn them off when the bike is running), but I bought a cool little mod from the bike market that fixes this problem, I'll post pics soon.

Hi, in my area this CB400 /s/Vtec 1-2-3 are very famous.
I ride once and like a lot, final I select CB750 year 2003 instead.
Some pic CB400 after rebuild

http://image.ohozaa.com/i/8fb/xns82.jpg

http://www.superfour-club.com/index....ch=52643;image

http://www.superfour-club.com/index....h=164963;image

http://image.ohozaa.com/i/bce/42ut2.jpg

http://image.ohozaa.com/i/416/p6fo1.jpg

http://www.k-speed.net/shop/k/k-spee...22103056_b.jpg

http://image.ohozaa.com/i/a43/Yh37L.JPG

http://image.ohozaa.com/i/5cd/6custom.jpg

Oh yeah! I rode a blue CB400 in Thailand for a month rental, perfect bike for me on those roads. CB750 engine is more powerful, but you don't really need it.

Kot, what are those 4 bikes at the bottom of your post? They appear to have fairrings (sp?), plastic bits added to the top and bottom of the engine. The last one on the bottom left has a mono shock. Is it also a modified CB400?

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by ZMC888

Oh yeah! I rode a blue CB400 in Thailand for a month rental, perfect bike for me on those roads. CB750 engine is more powerful, but you don't really need it.

---

Hi, CB400 is the right size for Naked bike. You can travel good into the traffic and off city.
CB750 has 75 HP + 5 speed gear give a good torque at low RPM, with travelling speed of 110 km I use only 4500 rpm.
But with CB400 engine rev is too high.

More, change engine from CBX750 which produce 91 HP with 6 speed gear!!!! and more fun to ride. The spec said Top speed 245 KM.
Fastest I rode was 140 Km/hrs Ahhhhhh... (having more hp and not using is better than want to use and dont have)
Most body part I can use from CB400.

I started with this bike last year NSR150SP with 39 HP

http://i164.photobucket.com/albums/u...P/R0010595.jpg

http://i164.photobucket.com/albums/u...P/R0010601.jpg



This is my current bike

http://i164.photobucket.com/albums/u...7-24113523.jpg



This pic when I first got the bike and put some beauty parts

http://i164.photobucket.com/albums/u...-15_105004.png

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Nuhaus

Kot, what are those 4 bikes at the bottom of your post? They appear to have fairrings (sp?), plastic bits added to the top and bottom of the engine. The last one on the bottom left has a mono shock. Is it also a modified CB400?

---

Hi,

Under Engine fairing and side cover are copy from JP spec. See below
Pro-Arm is also very famous. This one should take from VFR400 (NC30) or Bros 400/600

http://www.superfour-club.com/index....h=162415;image

http://www.superfour-club.com/index....h=162418;image

http://image.ohozaa.com/i/f07/5custom.jpg

http://www.superfour-club.com/index....h=162518;image

http://www.superfour-club.com/index....h=162526;image

http://www.superfour-club.com/index....h=162540;image

I like my bikes like I like my women, that is to say "Naked" :thumbsup:

I really don't like fairing, it doesn't suit a CB.

@Kot, my CB400 has 6 gears and I've taken it over 140km/h but it's too scary to ride high speeds on China's roads... :P you're right about the high revs, the bike is very smooth at low revs, but if you really want it to be nippy and responsive you have to hit the higher revs... it can be scary sometimes :riding:

P.S I'd love a CB750, but I'm more than happy with my 400.. it's one of the biggest bikes around in China :)

Thanks Kot. I agree with Serpentza that the bike looks better without fairings but I think the windshield would be a real asset on a CB400. Over 100 the wind gets pretty nasty, at 140 it's very difficult to cope with. I have heard that the CB400 with Vtec 2 can get up to 180, but it sure as hell wasn't me driving it.

I've driven one with really good dual rear shocks, very smooth ride. Not sure if I understand the appeal of modding it to a monoshock unless it's for weight or perhaps racing. I've seen a couple of Honda Bros in Zhejiang and was very impressed with those too. CB400 seems to be more pervasive around here though.

You are absolutely correct....."Naked" is the answer.
That is the main reason I did not take "CBR"
CB750 has Air Cool + Oil Cool + Hydrolic tappet valve....maintenance free.......unlike CB1/CB400 using LC + Adjustable valve, more to maintain.

Add a small clear sheild on the head lamp, less wind on your shoulder and helmet. More stable at higher speed.
Use a good sport-touring tyre. I use Metzeler M3 up front 120/60/17. Rear I use Dunlop KB510 150/60/17 and not up to my satisfy.
M3 or M5 is much better at the similar price. Dont use Touring style tyre, and No need to use sport or sport-track tyre.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Serpentza

400.. it's one of the biggest bikes around in China :)

---

BMW, Benelli, Yamaha, Suzuki, HD, Ducati, etc... have BIG bikes available, legal to register in ML China. Ride safe, PAL

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Pal

BMW, Benelli, Yamaha, Suzuki, HD, Ducati, etc... have BIG bikes available, legal to register in ML China. Ride safe, PAL

---

Maybe up in Swanky Wanky Shanghai or other similar cities, but big bikes are like hen's teeth down in the fertile south :icon10: