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Honda CBR 400RR

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Make Model

Honda CBR 400RR

Year

1991

Engine

Four stroke, transverse four cylinder, DOHC, 4 valve per cylinder.

Capacity

399 cc / 24.3 cu-in
Valve Intake valve closes @ 1mm lift / Exhaust valve opens @ 1mm lift
Bore x Stroke 55 x 42 mm
Cooling System Liquid cooled; radiator with cooling fan
Compression Ratio 11.3:1
Lubrication Forced pressure and wet sump
Oil Pump Type Trockoid
Oil Capacity 3.8 Liters

Induction

4x 26mm Flat-side CV
Charging Triple phase output alternator

Ignition 

Digitalized full transistor ignition
Spark Plug NGK CR9EH-9 or ND U27FER-9
Battery 12v (6AH) YTX7A-BS
Starting Electric

Max Power

59 hp / 42.2 kW @ 12500 rpm

Max Torque

39 Nm / 28.8 ft-lb @ 10000 rpm
Clutch Multi-plate, wet

Transmission 

6 Speed 
Final Drive Chain
Primary Drive 2.117
Gear Ratio 1st 3.307 : 1 (43/13) 2nd 2.352 : 1 (40/17) 3rd 1.875 (30/16) 4th 1.591 (35/22)3 5th 1.435 (33/23) 6th 1.318 (29/22)
Frame Twin-spar, box-section aluminum

Front Suspension

41mm Showa damper-rod forks with adjustable pre-load

Rear Suspension

Showa gas/oil shock with adjustable preload and compression

Front Brakes

2x 275mm discs 4 piston calipers

Rear Brakes

Single 220mm disc 2 piston caliper
Font Wheel 17x3.5 in.
Rear Wheel 17x4.5 in.

Front Tyre

120/60-17

Rear Tyre

150/60-18
Rake 24.3°
Trail 91 mm / 3.6 in
Dimensions Length 1990mm / 78.3 in
width 670mm / 26.4 in
Height 1080 mm / 42.5 in
Wheelbase 1375mm / 54.1 in
Seat Height 750 mm / 29.5 in

Dry Weight

163 kg / 359.4 lbs
Ground Clearance 125 mm / 4.9 in

Fuel Capacity 

15 Litres / 4.0 gal

Road Test

Moto Sprint 1991
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On a recent visit to the Great White North, the nice people at Honda Canada showed me a new Honda CBR 400RR they had in their possession. They had brought the bike into Canada to gauge reaction to it at the Canadian motorcycle show last January. They were most interested to see if the bike might appeal to female riders and open up a new market for Honda. Thinking that I might need to get closer to my feminine side, or something, they let me take the little Honda for a short ride.

It's been a long time since I've ridden a bike this small but Ihave to admit that I have an affection for little sportbikes. In my early days of motorcycling I rode a CBR 400F. I loved that bike. To modify it I had installed clip-ons, a Yosh pipe and jet kit, and a set of rear sets that put my knees above my head. That bike was cool. It made me cool.

This little Honda, though, is lightyears better than my old 400F even without having any modifications. Oh alright, it's only 22 years better but in bike years I think that translates out to be about 186,000 years, so there. This new little Honda has conventional forks, an aluminum frame, and a reinforced aluminum swingarm. It has all the stuff that big sportbikes have, just all a little smaller. In many ways this bike is a baby twin brother to the CBR 900RR.

The CBR 400RR is as nimble as one would expect such a small bike to be but it is also very precise in its steering and is rock stable. My old 400 had the first of those features but very little of the second one. Going 100 mph on the old thing was an attention grabbing experience whereas that speed on this bike is of no event. Modern lightweight frames are designed to take giant horsepower loads of big bikes so it was no problem for the Honda engineers to make this bike's frame smaller, lighter, and still flex free.

The frame of this 400RR is so small that the rear shock had to be mounted on a steep angle, reaching up underneath the gas tank. By mounting the shock in that position they were able to maintain a low seat height which, with the bike's light weight, contributes to making the package so nice for women.

The neatest thing about this bike is that the redline on its inline four engine is at 14,500 rpms. At first it took me a little bit of encouragement to convince myself that going to that rpm wasn't doing a naughty deed, but once I broke myself of my self-imposed rev limiter, it was hard not to go there in every gear at every opportunity. What a great sound. It got me to thinking that this bike would be even more fun with a louder pipe. But I guess that might be a guy thing.

Source by Peter Jones