Featured Honda 400/4

I think many of us (of a certain age) either owned one or had a mate who had one back in the 70's and 80's. I had a red F1, my first 4 cylinder bike. I went all over on it. I recall I overtightened the oil drain plug cracking the alloy sump after an oil change, but fortunately the engineering workshop I was an apprentice at the time had some very good MIG welders who sorted the offending crack out for me. I sold the 400 after owning it for a couple of years and after trying a couple of 550/4's which I really liked but couldn't afford at the time I bought a second hand 750/4. My wife then bought herself a 400/4 in the early 80's as they were great bikes for smaller riders.

 

learnt a bit about mechanics on mine!

 

Ah yes, roadside maintenance, those were the days.
Loving the beige suit Crispey, where can I get hold of one?

 

1970's

 

Glad to see you were making use of that most essential of all tools for precision maintenance, the wood-handled hammer laying in the road (probably nicked from your dad's toolbox..mine was).

 

That's one thing I really like about bikes of that era, relatively simple to work on. For a real challenge, just try that on your Rocket 3.

 

Nice looking workshop!

 

The Honda 400/4 was the first road bike I went on the back of in 1976 as a twelve year old. The lad who rode it attempted to show me my first magic ton in a short stretch of road except he was short at 95mph as the road wasn’t long enough. It was Ingleby road Bradford.
At that time I muscled my way in to work at the ‘Motorist Discount center’ group of shops as a snotty nose helper. At the same time a nearby motorcycle shop called ‘Brook listers’ loaned this one particular branch shop a bright yellow unregistered Honda 400/4 which I’d sit on and dream! The manager there at MDC was also the original the lad who too me out on his own 4/4!!

 

I learnt to ride on one of those 400/4’s the memories, very nice looking bike mate

 

I learnt to ride on one of those 400/4’s the memories, very nice looking bike mate

 

I don't know about handling and performance unmatched, I rode a few and I'd take my RD400 every time though they were good looking bikes +1 for Morini

 

Electric start..new fangled nonsense

 

My right leg has been fucked since 1978 so left side kick start is bloody handy.