RealClassic – August 2019

40 I AUGUST 2019 More old bikes online: Real-Classic.co.uk

ride andIloved it. Iwas smitten.It didall I
wanted frommy style ofriding pointofview.
Ihavesincedone just under 7000 miles on it.
That Enfield must’vebeen the thin end
of thewedge because,finally,after 49 years
of riding ,in2 018Ibought... AHonda!After
all those British bikes,myeyeshave turned
to the Orient. Forthefirst time inmy life
Ican watcha
revcounter

spin around 10,000rpm!So whydid Ifinally

decideto tryaJapanese motorcycle,after

an entirelifetime on British bikes?

I’dbeenthinking aboutmy futureridingfor

the next 15 years or so.Ilike to keepabike

foralong time andwanted abike to see me

there. Iknewthatthe 1970s Honda CB400F

wasagood all-round machine; in factitwas

consideredamiddleweightsuperbike in its

times.SowhenIsawone inashopwindow

locallyIhad alook at it.

TheCB’sengine had beenrebuilt and the

bike lightly customised,clean,and offered

at £3900. My interest wasawakening.Ifired

up the laptop andfound another interesting

example on eBay. This wasaUKmodel,very

original,with just 15,500 miles.The dealer

wassellingit for£3750–wehad achatand I

paid the deposit plusadeliveryfee.

WHATTHEPAPERSSAY

THE MOTORCYCLEis genuinely

exciting.Ifyou can’trespond tothe

CB400F’s electrifying mechanical

presenceyou should immediately switch

your sporttocheckers.Cyclemagazine,

1975

THEWRETCHEDseatstrap nestles

dead centreunder most riders’rear ends

and is all but uselessto passengers.Cycle

World,1976

AT 10,500rpm,asiren-songcomes

shrieking out of the engine and muffler

and this music is the most captivating

soundwest of an MVAgusta 750.Cycle

magazine,1975

THE 400’sCORNERINGis in line

with its sportylooks.Youhaveno trouble

dropping it into corners or makingrapid

line changes inS-bends.Bike, 1976

THE LOWhandlebars have an

awkwardshape,bending therider’swrists

atuncomfortable and unnatural angles.

Couple thisto Honda’s hard, bitinggrips

and you’ve got an arearipe forchange.

CycleWorld,1976

CLUTCH PULLis ligh tbut actuation

is deceptive,sincethe lever has tobenear

the end of itsrelease arcbefor edriveline

components startcoupling up;excessive

gear lashcontributesafair shareofslack

when the throttle isrolled on and off.

CycleWorld,1976

THE CB400Fis short. Thesteering

angle is steep.And whileitiscompact,

at 400lb it isn’t light. Themass is thus

concentrated. These three factors mean

the 400F is nimble.Itw ill turn, willingly

and with sharpness.CycleWorld,1977

THE CB400Fgets alongfine without

arear disc although the drum does,upon

occasion, get spongy when hot.Cycle

World,1976

Faffingaround withtwin pointscanbeavoidedby

fittingamodern electronic ignition.Poor running

in wetweathercanoftenbetracedtosoakedcoil

leads under thepetroltank