There is a certain contingent of UK riders who regard 400s as "girls bikes". More fool them is all I can say, they're missing out on some great bikes, perhaps the greatest of which is the CBR400RR.
The NC23, aka "Tri-arm", was the second incarnation of the CBR400 and the first CBR400RR. The first CBR400, the aero, shared similar styling with the "Jellymould" CBR600 and was altogether less focussed than the RR.
In contrast to the aero, the NC23 tri-arm was a feisty race replica with exciting styling. The year was 1988, the Fireblade was still four years away and the CBR600 was still in it's jellymould stages. For fashion crazed Japanese riders, the NC23 was the bike to be seen on, and this was reflected in the sales charts.
These runaway sales were also the result of restrictive Japanese licensing laws which made it very difficult for riders to obtain a license to ride big bikes. Further Japanese legislation made it expensive to keep a bike on the road after the first few years of it's life, resulting in the value of these bikes in the domestic market plumetting. UK entrepreneurs were only too happy to snap them up and import them as grey models to the UK - Japan's loss was the UK's gain!
The name "tri-arm" arose due to the distinctively triangulated swing arm which aped the style of the factory GP racers of the era. The bike also demonstrated other technology taken from the race track, such as a gear driven cam engine, an aluminium frame and a 17" front wheel and sleek, sexy styling.
Enough of the history, I'd like to tell you about my experience of riding and owning a CBR400RR. This has been my first bike, so I can't compare it easily with others, but I can tell you about 2 years pure excitement and liberation on an agile, beautiful sports bike... OK, I might be a little biased.. :o)
It was about a month after I'd passed my DAS that I bought the CBR. I didn't trust myself to test ride it (in case I dropped it), so a mate did the honours and reported back that it was a sweet handling little bike in great condition. After I'd stumped up the cash, the same mate rode it from the vendor across to my home and parked it in the garage. Finally I was alone with my baby, but it was dark outside and I faced an agonising wait until the end of the following day at work before I could take it out on my own.
Finally the time had come for me to ride my very own motorbike for the first time, and also to ride unaccompanied by an instructor... what nerves! It was raining but I just couldn't wait any longer. I wobbled my way around the corner to the car park of the company I was working for at the time and without the pressure of traffic around, I dialled into the slow speed handling of the bike and blew away some of the cobwebs that had formed in the month since I took the DAS.
Presently I felt the need to "open her up" and see what my new baby would do, so I headed out onto the public roads and set a course for Wrotham Hill, the legendary section of the A20 in Kent which leads up to Brands Hatch from the M20 / M26 junction. I think I'll always remember the rush as I opened the throttle against the stop on my first run down the hill - I reckon my scream could've been heard in Dover!
Since then I've put many thousand k's on the little bike and it's done me proud under all circumstances. Comfortable on long journeys, supremely capable through the twisties, powerful enough for a new rider such as myself, I've loved the bike and would heartily recommend it to anyone looking for a sporty, good looking and insurable post-DAS first bike. Further icing on the cake is the way these bikes hold their value. Demand is strong and I expect to be able to sell it early next year for close to the sum I paid for it.
With time, my abilities have increased to allow me to exploit more of the performance available. Despite giving away a lot in outright HP terms to larger bikes, I've frequently kept up with riders of 600 and litre class bikes on ride outs. I don't think I would have learnt so much on a larger bike, which is a further reason why this is an excellent first bike.
On the negative side, the suspension setup favours lightweights such as myself (the average Japanese rider is a 9 stone slip of a lad), so if your physique owes more to Betty Boothroyd than Betty Boo, look elsewhere. Also, as a grey bike, the supply of some parts can be difficult. Touch wood, I've not crashed or dropped the bike, but repairs may have been difficult if I had.
I know this review is somewhat biased in favour of the bike, but hey, it's my first bike and I love it. In case you don't believe me, here's what RiDE magazine has to say about the CBR400RR: ".. one of the tastiest greys available. A sharp chassis and tough, powerful motor makes the tiny CBR good enough to take on 600s on the right roads. The downside to this popularity is higher prices than the other 400s and the same money can buy a sports 600."
