South West Bikers | Motorcycle Forum

Hey was considering investing in a cheap, fun designated track bike and have already spoken to quite a few people and have come to the conclusion that a Honda 400 was a really good option seeing as it is already bred for the track and is basically the baby blade...so was just wandering if anyone had any advice with regard to any other bike or whether I should go for the cbr400rr inline 4 or the rvf400r v4. At the moment I am inclined towards the cbr nc29.

personally i'd go back to another rvf myself but only as i one for four years. in the grand scheme of things they were underpowered compared to the cbr's and zxr's.

the more recent (l model onwards i believe) zxr400's are worth a look too, but they can be a bit more finicky from what i hear, no personal experience with them though.

any of these 400's will make a cracking first track bike though.

if you're going to be in the market for an nc29 i'm just finishing off building one for the track, just waiting for 2nd gear and some shift forks to finish off the engine and then it can all go back together.

can sort you some pics of it if you like along with more details if you're interested

Both will do the job just fine. I'd personally go for a RVF400 (NC35) or even a VFR400 NC30, just because they're built better, more mid range too. Not much difference between a NC30 and NC35 imo, but tbh the NC35 does have better choice of tyres due to a more normal 17" rear wheel (CBR400 NC29 also has a 17" rear), although theres still some good choice for the NC30.

RVF/VFR400 for me over the cbr

if you want a very capable small track bike the zxr400 is really worth considering,theres some going very cheap on ebay for well sorted one's

i have and rvf400, and i have to say it is beautiful in the bends.

it feels unbelievably light and it gives a lot of confidence in the bends.

i ride my bros sv650 and i feel so much more confident on the rvf400.

Even though his bike has more power on the straight, when it comes to the twisties he is left behind.

out of interest......why limit yourself to a 400, especially if a good deal could be had on a 600/750/1000?

julian wrote:out of interest......why limit yourself to a 400, especially if a good deal could be had on a 600/750/1000?

So he can wave when he rides around the outside of you

DynaMight wrote:

julian wrote:out of interest......why limit yourself to a 400, especially if a good deal could be had on a 600/750/1000?

So he can wave when he rides around the outside of you

gonna have to tie a ladder onto the back of my bike then

julian wrote:out of interest......why limit yourself to a 400, especially if a good deal could be had on a 600/750/1000?

To be honest I'd rather be able to ride the 400 to its full potential than to try and pretend that I can harness the full power of a bigger bike. With any luck at all, I should be inheriting my Step Dad's '09 R6 when I'm 21 next year, coz at the mo its just being used as a dust collector, that could change things a bit. Thought about just using that for the track but its quite expensive to throw around whereas the RVF400 is just a cheap user friendly ride that you can pin easily around corners, drop it, and just pick it up again and carry on. Also back to my first point, it would be a really great bike for me to really get to learn corner speeds and the feel of the bike. Took an older VFR400 (NC30) for a spin the other day and it really did feel awesome although I think I'd prefer the NC35 as it has had quite a few mods to it since the NC30 including inverted forks and normal 17" tyres...been doing loads of research on them both...another bonus is the fact that it has carbs!! Its a proper engine! Therefore I can do most of the maintenance on the bike myself whereas injected bikes I don't even know where to start? If I get an old cheap RVF, chances are it'll be a bit knackered so I'd really like to strip it down to nuts and bolts and rebuild it, replacing any buggered bits! Should be fun as a little project.

Saw this on TDR: http://www.trackdayriders.co.uk/tdr/for ... ?TID=11273 (may need to sign up)

Seems like a nicely sorted trackbike. FZR's are fast too.

looks like an absolute bargain - just reduced in price too

Wow, that really is a bargain! looks like its in pretty good nick too, but don't think I'll be able to do anything until I move out in Sept...not allowed another bike while living at home with the folks! But will definitely be smuggling one in before next summer for some awesome track use!!

billinom8s wrote:looks like an absolute bargain - just reduced in price too

is that a potential BUMP that I sense??

nope, but for what you get with the bike, you would have everything you need other than a driving license to get to the track no matter what the condtions

Go for a 600. A few track days down the line you will be frustrated with the poor tyres, tired suspension, heavy weight (relative) or lack of power of a 400. The same or less money will get you a sorted 600 that will compete with anyone on track and keep you interested.