Downsizing to a 400. Anybody done it?

[j0hnny_e]

I was on a few weeks back (on the old forum) asking if any of the NI members knew where I could get a clean VFR/RVF locally.

Well... I've found one :D A mint condition NC30. Its going to be up for sale just after the NW200 weekend (owner wants 1 last blast on it before getting outta bikes).

So - I'm at crunch point. Decicion time. I'm currently riding this - a 2001 CBR929RR:



(Full set of pics here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/j0hnnye/se ... 683695945/ )

A lovely, squeaky clean 929RR. Its got all the bits and goes like stink Truth be told, I cant ride it as it was intended. The torque and speed mean that if I were to follow the bike's instincts, I'd be either nicked or dead.

So - I go to see this 400 as soon as it comes in to the dealer (on Monday hopefully). He's very keen on my Blade and it looks like I can walk away with a clean NC30 and over a grand in my back pocket. Thing is... that Blade is some tool on the road. I do love it.

Am I going to regret this? Obviously on a 400 forum, theres a great bias and support for these V4 Hondas - and to me who hasnt yet owned one, it does seem justified.

So - to those of you who have downsized from a big capacity bike, or those of you who own both.... am I going to regret this

(PS. I cant afford to buy both which is the ideal solution here. Also, with a 2yr old child in the house I only get infrequent, short blasts out on the bikes. I prefer quiet, sunny evening B road fun. I mostly ride alone - so keeping up to big bikes aint an issue).

Johnny

[Fluffy]

spoooky, I sold my cbr929 and bout a cbr400 lol
my decision was purely financial with the 400 costing less to buy than i sold the blade for and insurance etc etc being soooo much cheaper :D
I'll be honest I do miss some of the 929's pure grunt and pulling power... but the 400's manouverability definatly compensates well :D
and the newer ones you're looking at are sure to put a grin on your face as will the insurance bill and tax time too

[ruffef]

i downgraded from a duke 748 to a nc30 when my duke got nicked many years ago. i took the insurance payout and slapped it down as a deposit for a house. and spent £1500 on a tattyish but good running nc30.

best thing i did. that house just went up in value, the nc30 is still worth about £1500 - i've just spent for consumables on it (tyres, oil, chain / sprockets) and things i wanted (17" wheel, suspension, and half system).

now the duke i was always a little scared that i'd drop it if tried to get my knee down, and thought as i worked in london a lot of the time it sat there depreciating, instead of being used. When i rode it i loved it, it really brought a grin to my face, but when i got the nc30 i'd lean it over that bit more, cos the plastics are all a bit scuffed, and i wasn't throwing £6k of bike down the road. I love the nippy handling, when you're going you have to think ahead and use the box, with the duke you just wound on some more right hand.

i do miss the duke, and i'd get another if i had the space and more time to ride it, but the nc30 i've had for 8 years now. it's less likely to lose you your licence - and i think still a fine looking bike.
HTH
fred

[j0hnny_e]

Nice to hear those replies...

I guess, on reading my 1st post again, my mind is already made up. I'm saying that I like B roads, I'm getting a grand in hand.

Thing is too.. I've gone from CB250 to CB600 to CBR929 in 2 years. I've been telling myelf (and others) that I'm sensible, and I dont ride my Blade any harder that my Hornet... but I've been watching my speed closely this past 2 weeks and that statement is a load of b****cks! I'm becoming a thrust junkie! Last month I was ready to sell up altogether on the death of UKBikeforum founder Zomb!e. He was a bike instructor and got hit head on by a lorry coming round a corner on the wrong side of the road. Losing some speed will be no bad thing for me.

I just hope its as clean as he says when I see it next week (or the guy doesnt change his mind after the NW200 weekend!)

Johnny

[tanuki]

my first bike was a GSXR400 then I went down the usual route of 600s and 750s etc.

I actually downgraded to a NSR250 had a couple of those and then got my RVF. To be fair I always had a NC29 trackbike during this time.

[stevepaff]

Never owned anything more than my 400 apart from the gpz500 which was slower and not as much fun.

I want a larger bike but can't bear to part with the NC so am keeping it until I can afford both it and a gsxr750.

You have to work the 400 and you'll give up before it does, its a very capable little machine, infact so much so that when I brought it into work the first time a guy here who used to race everything he could was talking about the little 400 saying he absolutly loved them and its one of the best bikes for fun and agility he'd ridden.

So that was one good thing that day that made me feel happy about the 400 and renewed me wawnting to keep it, then later on me and the boss popped out for a lunchtime hoon, him on his gsxr600 and me on the nc, was a good bit of fun (team building exersize) and when we got back before I even had a chance to say anything he commented on how well it went and it really surprised him, so much so that there were times he was glad of the straights so he could pull away a little more.

So to conclude, the nc30\35 may be a little bike but for B road fun and hooning about (especially if you are a lone rider) you'll find it hard not to finish your ride without a smile on your face, and sometimes you forget the turning to your house and carry on for a bit longer.

[viper_biker]

Personally speaking, if I'd never owned a 400 and went straight to the 600 class I doubt I'd go to a 400, but the fact that I purposfully went the 400 route after passing my test, I'm so glad I did. A few bikes have come and gone over the years but I've always kept my first 400. I'm now in the position that I have a VFR road bike, VFR track bike and a K5 750 and wouldn't change it for the world.

[Sligeach]

my best friend started on a CG125 to a SRAD gsxr 600 and within a year and a half was on a blade. he then temporarily lost his liscence!!
after this he lent me his blade while he rode my NC30, he loved it, as he claimed with the big bikes he missed out on the skill of carrying corner speed and corner lines. the big bikes with their bigger torque disguised his inadequacies as a rider.
i have still to get my NC30 back!!

[grandpanot]

For the track I downsized from a GSXR1000 to a GXR600 then to the NC30. I am a little guy and found even the 600 to be tiring to wrestle with on the < 2 mile tracks I ride on. For Road America and some other tracks though I would rather have the bigger bike back as the little NC gets short of legs on some of the longer straights.

[fastdruid]

Personally I have a VFR750, my wife has an NC35, the NC35 is *fantastic* I could quite happily live with it if I was riding just for fun on sunny days and never taking a pillion.

Only downside is that it's *such* a corner speed monster that you can actually be going *faster* than on the bigger bikes round the corners just slower on the straights.

It will feel slow in comparison but the 10K kick is still fun and you can use far more full throttle than you ever will on the blade.

Druid