Nice ride on a Honda CB 400 N

Well. There is no more. The Honda CB 400 N was intended as a 'commuter bike', as a commuter bike. Not as a PK warehouse or status symbol. And there's nothing wrong with that. And if, for example, you come across a nice 1982 person, then you are lucky.

Because already in 1982 such a Honda CB 400 N had a completely trouble-free, reliable engine

But then a block with a twist, because there were not two or four valves per cylinder in the head, but three. Two for the inlet and one for the outlet.

The block also had an extremely short stroke. That also resulted in a low piston speed, so little wear. The 400 cc twin breathe through two Keihin CV carburetors with a diameter of 30 mm. The ignition was electronic and the twin had balance shafts. And if some gas was given, the CB could just run tight 160. And that is still hard in a country where there are a few sections of the highway where you can drive 130 km / h. But what do you have to look for on a motorway on a classic motorcycle? Cross on 130-140? That can keep the CB 400 full for days.

Fast enough

In terms of speed and road holding, Boet van Dulmen and Jack Middelburg showed at Zandvoort that sharp lap times could be set with standard Honda CB 400 N's. So let's not complain about performance and driving behaviour.

On the inland roads there is already enough torque and power to drive wonderfully at somewhat lower revs. But above the 6.000 rpm, the Honda CB 400 N becomes really toxic. Nice! With real gases and screams - and actually that is just as much fun as it is improper use - some oil use had to be taken into account at the time of its introduction. Now that is certainly a point of attention. Anyway: half a liter per 1.500 km doesn't hurt. If you arrive on time. With a rustic driving style, that oil consumption is minimal and the fuel consumption can be around the 1 on 24. On average, a Honda CB 400 N will run slightly from 1 to 15. With all that steering and playing, the six-speed gearbox is a party.

For its time, suspension, damping and handling were very good. Now they are still fine to live with, especially if the front fork legs have had fresh oil. Also give the front fork a set of fresh seals. If a pair of Hagon dampers are provided, that's okay, otherwise buy them yourself. That saves the world. Just like checking the headset and rear fork bearing.

The state of affairs

Nowadays think of € 500 for a good driving copy without pretensions. From 'beautiful original and good' to 'TOPPERRR!”The (asking) prices are between € 1.500-2.500.

And for that money you have a wonderfully dated, but 100% usable classic that perhaps gives less status than a CBX six-cylinder, but with which you can have more fun.

The parts provision is still good. Specialists like CMSNL.com deliver new old stock, even your dealer can do his best again for you. Second-hand stuff is still offered quite a lot, and not expensive. So quickly score a CB 400 N this weekend.