Gentlemen

[AshimotoK0]

Welcome from me too. This forum is a great place to visit for UK guys. The American site is great too but you get that 'personal touch on here'.

Nice bike  ... I got my first 400/4 when I was 22 !!

Like the title Ryan : Reminds me of an old boss I had, way back,  who looked like Boycie from "Old Fools and Horses". His Draconian memos to everyone used to always start    "Gentleman" ... then something like ...   "Do as I say or else you will be replaced"

Cheers ... Ash

[Mr-Gear]

@ash: Sounds like a top bloke haha!

I'm gonna be using this beaut as my commuter to work (a car isn't particularly practicle considering my working hours and dreaded traffic around here), I'm buying the bike to ride and love with the good times aswell as the bad. not it's re-sell value!

Roughly 40 odd miles a day, maybe a bit more (Not motorway) not much starting and stopping, backroads/country, is there much I should be aware of or at least bear in mind with this particular bike? Or any decent practical modifications? Plenty of moaning around the internet about them being fragile, tbh I tend to try and take things with a pinch of salt as no matter what you get, someone, somewhere will be able to find any reason that something is rubbish haha.

Below is my current bike! I love the Vara, Very nice and comfortable bike but it's a bit under-powered and I feel it is probably a bit stressed doing between 8 - 10k rpm everyday. Never missed a beat though! Even back during those horrible winter months leading up to and just after christmas just gone. Those were some morbid commutes!

[Green1]

Varadero's are good old work horses I borrowed one for a few days when they first come out 2 up it did 80mph
But theirs nothing wrong with an up grade.

Mick

[K2-K6]

Hello and welcome Ryan, sounds like you're getting to grips with the 400 already so should be good fun looking after it.

Tips should always begin with oil condition on these (guess that goes for most motors) but really is the basis of long service and reliability.

Have fun, where abouts in hampshire are you?

[AshimotoK0]

Whoops Ryan bleary eyed and didn't read the post correctly, thought you were going to use 400/4 to commute !!!  anyway here was the answer:

ChrisR, who is a member here, commutes every day from Retford to Sheffield one of his bikes a 400/4 I think. He used it even during the bad snow a couple of years back, when car drivers stayed at home!  400/4 bikes were used by dispatch riders in London, pre CX500 so sounds like  a really good idea to use as a commuter.  I would think that with regular oil changes, camchain adjustment and front caliper maintenance everything would work out fine. I commuted to work on 400/4's from 1978 to around 1984 until some low-life stole my 'Parakeet' Yellow one.

Cheers ... AshD

[mick]

Hello Ryan and welcome to the forum  cheers Mick.

[Mr-Gear]

@k2-k6: I typically change the oil in my 125 every 1500mi (Halfords Semi Synth ) and I'm from fareham

@Ash: Sorry to hear about your yellow number! Shame we can't just have nice things without having to worry about that sort of crap! but what you said about "ChrisR" gives me confidence!

[Trigger]

CX500, CX500 the worst bike in the world Was my bread and butter for years, must of built over 2,000 of those engines. Nothing wrong with the engines but, people forgot to change the oil or they had a weeping mechanical seal and blocked the drain hole which caused the water to be pushed in to the oil.
The London work horse from 1978 upto 1995 and still see a couple knocking about.

[Bryanj]

OK I will stick an oar in and say I used to do the camchain mod INSIDE the Honda spec time!!!

[AshimotoK0]

Silvers just got in their repro cam chain guide for CX500 which is NLA from, Honda, I gather.

Anyone remember when they road tested the CX when it first came available to the press and the big ends went, due to not running in properly and tight shell /journal clearances.

I like that Cafe CX500 that 'Doc' or whatever  he's called does in the US.

Cheers ...  AshD

[Trigger]

What was the book time??? Always easier when the crash bars were fitted. 

[AshimotoK0]

I like that Cafe CX500 that 'Doc' or whatever  he's called does in the US.

Cheers ...  AshD

[tom400f]

Wow - who'd have thought a maggot could look that good