New Honda V4 400?

[RickOliver]

The prospect of a modern, fuel injected 400cc V4 making 80+BHP and housed in a lightweight MotoGP-styled chassis with state of the art suspension and brakes is certainly a very seductive one and presumably well within Honda`s technical grasp given that they have been leading the way in V4 development for the last 30 years but alas I can`t see it actually happening as Honda these days seems to be hobbled by corporate bean counters rather than led by inspired engineers and designers as they were in the glory days.

I work for a main Honda dealership and it speaks volumes that nothing has turned up in our showroom this century that I would swap for my 25 year old RC and NC30s...

Rick

[royster81]

i just checked, the JDM have a honda cbr400r but its a twin cylinder not an IL4 like the superfour.

[Neosophist]

The prospect of a modern, fuel injected 400cc V4 making 80+BHP and housed in a lightweight MotoGP-styled chassis with state of the art suspension and brakes is certainly a very seductive one and presumably well within Honda`s technical grasp given that they have been leading the way in V4 development for the last 30 years but alas I can`t see it actually happening as Honda these days seems to be hobbled by corporate bean counters rather than led by inspired engineers and designers as they were in the glory days.

I work for a main Honda dealership and it speaks volumes that nothing has turned up in our showroom this century that I would swap for my 25 year old RC and NC30s...

Rick

No doubt it would be, but back in the "glory days" Japans economy was in overdrive and there were a lot more bikers than there are now, plus with the standard bike licence being limited to 400cc there was a big demand from Japan for these bikes.

The large bike licence is still a difficult test but much easier to get than it used to be, I would guess the majority of bike sales in Japan are commuters given their current line up, those who want a sports bike will just get a bigger licence, and as for the rest of the world, not many would be a sports 400 when you can buy a sports 600 1000 unless there was some kind of licencing change.

My favourite Honda of the last 15 years has to be the CBR954, last hurrah for the original line of fireblades and kinda got everything just right. Most other things I see (not just from Honda) are re-hashed models that are incremental upgrades.

Mind you the NM4 is pretty jazzy for anyone that hasn't seen Hondas batman bike. Guess they can still be a little crazy, as long as its wrapped up in a commuter...

[Harryredchow]

The Bike Mag article definitely suggest something special. We shall have to wait and see. 140Kg and 80hp would be epic!

[Neosophist]

The Bike Mag article definitely suggest something special. We shall have to wait and see. 140Kg and 80hp would be epic!

I think they have been smoking crack. It would be nice for the few 400 enthusiasts about but to suggest they are purpose building a new 400cc mini race-rep doesn't seem to have any basis for speculation.

http://www.honda.co.jp/motor-lineup/#anchor3

Honda's current 250-400cc line up.

besides there being no dometic market for a 400cc race bike there is also no domestic race class anymore for a 400cc machine either apart from classic racing (which of course uses classic bikes)

I'd like to think they'd make another one but who would buy it and who would they sell it to and what would it compete against?

[Harryredchow]

Maybe it would compete with the new 400 Ninja planned, or the KTM RC390? There does seem to be a shift towards small bore sports bikes? I am just repeating what I have read. The mag suggested they have already started development, which again maybe complete lies, but we can live in hope.

[royster81]

I think they have been smoking crack.

Lmfao !!!!

[Neosophist]

Maybe it would compete with the new 400 Ninja planned, or the KTM RC390? There does seem to be a shift towards small bore sports bikes? I am just repeating what I have read. The mag suggested they have already started development, which again maybe complete lies, but we can live in hope.

You mean this?

http://www.kawasaki-motors.com/mc/lineup/ninja400/

Its sold in a few places but not sure if they sell it in the UK. Its a parallel twin, just like the Honda CBR400R is a parallel twin and makes 40 odd horses.

http://www1.suzuki.co.jp/motor/gsr400/index.html

Suzuki is the only one making a relativly powerful 400 at the moment, a GSR400 which is a naked sports bike.

61hp fuel injected and 4 cylinders for a change, rather ambitions wiht a 180 tyre on the back but its the closest thing in Japan to a 400cc sports bike.

[royster81]

I'd like to think they'd make another one but who would buy it and who would they sell it to and what would it compete against?

I think that's a valid point, who would buy it? And what price would it be around? Would it be restricted to 40 odd hp to comply with licensing etc

If it was a proper v4 with fi, usds, modern styling yeah sure I'd be interested if it was reasonably priced.

But if it does happen I can see it being something like the new cbr 500 things?

[Neosophist]

I think that's a valid point, who would buy it? And what price would it be around? Would it be restricted to 40 odd hp to comply with licensing etc

To comply with whose licencing? There are no power restrictions on 400s in Japan anymore.

maybe not true for the UK or other markets but then it adds to the cost making specific models.