revtothelimit - motorbike forum

Spondon 400/4?

Does a 400/4 have enough power to worry the standard fame?

KungFooBob wrote: Fri Aug 01, 2025 7:57 pm Spondon 400/4?

Does a 400/4 have enough power to worry the standard fame?

It's an old race bike with a 460 engine, probably built by some weirdo who wanted to race a 4 stroke when the world was racing two strokes.

Le_Fromage_Grande wrote: Fri Aug 01, 2025 8:15 pm

KungFooBob wrote: Fri Aug 01, 2025 7:57 pm Spondon 400/4?

Does a 400/4 have enough power to worry the standard fame?

It's an old race bike with a 460 engine, probably built by some weirdo who wanted to race a 4 stroke when the world was racing two strokes.

Yoshimura kit? I seem to remember that Jock Kerr also did a big bore kit for the bike.

The Spin Doctor wrote: Fri Aug 01, 2025 11:19 pm

Le_Fromage_Grande wrote: Fri Aug 01, 2025 8:15 pm

KungFooBob wrote: Fri Aug 01, 2025 7:57 pm Spondon 400/4?

Does a 400/4 have enough power to worry the standard fame?

It's an old race bike with a 460 engine, probably built by some weirdo who wanted to race a 4 stroke when the world was racing two strokes.

Yoshimura kit? I seem to remember that Jock Kerr also did a big bore kit for the bike.

Don't know, I changed the oil in my Honda and went for a ride on it rather than look at any bikes today.

Turns out I'm buying new front room furniture, a washing machine and a fridge, not a motorcycle.

Le_Fromage_Grande wrote: Sun Aug 03, 2025 12:37 pm Turns out I'm buying new front room furniture, a washing machine and a fridge, not a motorcycle.

plonk

The Mocheck Honda Harrier 460.

I had the CMA wheels plus flyscreen on my 4-fours, anyway.

ISTR the big bore meant the new head gasket had a hard time preventing oil seeping out of the head.

Le_Fromage_Grande wrote: Sun Aug 03, 2025 12:37 pm Turns out I'm buying new front room furniture, a washing machine and a fridge, not a motorcycle.

She's setting a precedent there. Buy a bike immediately, or you will have entrusted your testicles to her indefinitely!

To be fair, all those things are around 18 years old and knackered, so I can't really complain.

Le_Fromage_Grande wrote: Mon Aug 04, 2025 1:37 pm To be fair, all those things are around 18 years old and knackered, so I can't really complain.

Careful. How old are you?

The Spin Doctor wrote: Mon Aug 04, 2025 3:21 pm

Le_Fromage_Grande wrote: Mon Aug 04, 2025 1:37 pm To be fair, all those things are around 18 years old and knackered, so I can't really complain.

Careful. How old are you?

58, and apparently the owner of a new fridge that's being delivered on Thursday, it's silver and it cost £450, that's as much as I know and more than I want to know about it, so long as it keeps things cold it'll do for me.

Le_Fromage_Grande wrote: Mon Aug 04, 2025 9:13 pm

The Spin Doctor wrote: Mon Aug 04, 2025 3:21 pm

Le_Fromage_Grande wrote: Mon Aug 04, 2025 1:37 pm To be fair, all those things are around 18 years old and knackered, so I can't really complain.

Careful. How old are you?

58, and apparently the owner of a new fridge that's being delivered on Thursday, it's silver and it cost £450, that's as much as I know and more than I want to know about it, so long as it keeps beer cold it'll do for me.

EFA.

Perhaps hang on for one of these?

https://www.bikesrepublic.com/english/2 ... at-suzuka/

I like the look of that, I don't even remember the original bike "in period" so maybe it offends the purists - but on it's own merits, I quite like that

That looks pretty decent. Certainly better than the bargain bucket looking Hornet. However I'd imagine its finish won't be as nice as The Big Cheeses current CB so that might be a factor. However from an owning standpoint it'll definitely less hassle than an old bike.

ChrisW wrote: Tue Aug 05, 2025 8:50 am Perhaps hang on for one of these?

https://www.bikesrepublic.com/english/2 ... at-suzuka/

Maybe when it comes out, I'll need to look at it carefully, I've looked at Hornets, and they're cheap looking (mostly because they are cheap compared to the CB1000R that I've got)

Also I think it looks more like a VTEC CB400 Super Four than a 1984 CB1100F

Looks like a modern bike with a retro paint job. In regards to styling, I think Kawasaki do it better with the 900RS.

KungFooBob wrote: Tue Aug 05, 2025 9:51 pm Looks like a modern bike with a retro paint job. In regards to styling, I think Kawasaki do it better with the 900RS.

One of my mate's has a 900RS & I can have a ride on it anytime.It looks good but when I sat on it I thought the seating position was weird & the tank was wide,maybe it's because I ride fairly skinny bikes,Street Triple,& SV650 but the 900RS wasn't for me.(It does look good though)

Yeah, the 900RS tank is silly wide which ruins the aesthetic a little, but imho it still looks more 'retro' than any of the other Nippon fours.

The 650RS is a pretty little thing, but some bits look a bit too modern.

I want to like the 900RS,but it always seems like Kawasaki nearly got it right. When I was buying a new bike in 2020 it was between the Z1000 and the 900RS. The Zed fitted me so much better,so I went for that. At the time the looks of the Sugomi Z1000 were viewed by some as 'challenged' and I wasn't utterly sold on it myself,but so many other brands have adopted that evil,pointy look now,that it's no longer such a thing of horror.

A friend splashed out on a set of Z1 lookalike pipes for his RS and it really did look the part,but I still think I made the right decision by not buying one.