Sunday 15 July 2012

Honda NV400

You can fool some of the people some of the time...about 25% of Harley riders coming towards me gave a cheery wave, figuring the high bars and laid back riding position redolent of their righteous steeds. No doubt they either sneered or laughed when their mistake was revealed. The thing was, I didn't really crave the American Iron - really, honestly! I'd ridden a few and they brought to mind Urals and old BMW's rather than anything to lust over. And, if you want a beautiful babe, buy a Porsche, the old slags on the back of custom Harleys didn't appeal either. I wanted to f..k ancient hags?

Okay, I will admit that the 1983 Honda looked a bit wimpy in comparison to the American icons but then it had only cost £995 from a friendly grey importer. Apart from finding the radically mounted footpegs, it was a breeze to leap on to and ride off into the distance. Any Harley rider worth his salt would've been swearing his head off at the lack of power and torque but this was due to the fact that it didn't really start motoring until seven grand, with its 42 horses peaking at a heady 9500rpm. In other words, despite the styling, here was a typical Honda twin that thrived on revs. Anyone used to Jap bikes would have a ball on the throttle, Harley devotees finding its lack of torque just another excuse to take a bloody big hammer to it.

The NV's clearly based on the VT400/500, with an ultra short stroke, watercooled engine that needs all of its six gears. As expected of a Honda of this vintage, all it really required was a regular, 1500 mile, dose of lubricant and a nervous right wrist to build up the revs. It came with 19,400 miles on the clock, three years later has 38,600 miles up, and runs just as nicely as ever. As far as engine reliability and longevity go, the VT/NV series is hard to beat. By far, the motor's the most impressive part of the package.

As to the chassis, it was a mixed bunch. As a custom allowance has to be made for its handling, which was surprisingly good on smooth roads and only let down by shagged, original suspension on the rougher stuff. With kicked out forks and 390lbs of metal to shove through the bends it wasn't the fastest turning beast on God's earth but once used to its ways I was able to make respectable time. Top speed was just over the ton, but the riding position limited cruising speeds to 75mph maximum. As my licence was in a precarious state this was fine by me. The cops tended to have a good laugh rather than lay any serious charges on to my head.

The main hassle with the chassis was the nasty front disc. There was a useful drum to the rear that was still shod with the original shoes, but the front disc was a serious piece of shit. No doubt when brand, spanking new it was a gloriously efficient stopper, but time, wear and corrosion added up to a lack of power and lots of shuddering.

The disc was going dangerously thin and had been gorged by pads down to the metal at some point in its life. Pads lasted about 7000 miles. Real finesse was required when using the front brake in the wet! Both the front wheel and disc appear unique to the NV, no easy way to find a replacement. Frequent caliper rebuilds, lots of prayers and equal amounts of cursing meant that it hasn't actually done for me yet, but there were many close shaves!

Given the machine's age, the finish was pretty good. A bit of alloy rot on the engine cases and wheels, but they cleaned up without much effort. Even the exhaust system exhibited few of the signs of internal corrosion. A happy early life in the hands of a Japanese poseur obviously helped. One side of the saddle has just begun to tear and the miniature front mudguard is a bit shaky on its mounts, but nothing serious or dire on the immediate horizon. I've seen five year old Harleys in a much worse state!

As I'm a short-arse I don't really appreciate the pillion perch being higher than mine, young ladies usually left towering over me. It wouldn't be so bad if I could dump the helmet, rest my weary head between their breasts, but little chance of that given the way the plod react to minor infractions of the law. The thick saddle is at least comfortable for both rider and pillion, showing up the lack of range from the 2.7 gallon tank (the bike does a not too reasonable 45-55mpg).

One minor problem, it would splutter and choke up with about half a gallon of fuel still left in the tank. Unleaded petrol it didn't like either, doing about 35mpg and not wanting to rev beyond nine grand. Poor engine running could combine with a truculent gearbox (especially after the bike had done 24000 miles) to make forward progress a rather tiresome business, totally out of line with its laid back appearance.

Because the engine always needed revs, those not used to the vagaries of aging Honda gearboxes won't be happy bunnies, but, as with most things, time and experience compensates for even the most nasty of mechanical contrivances. The state of gearbox is a good indication of the true age of the motor, many bikes in importers sporting false mileages - relatively easy to fake given the bike's good finish.

The bottom line is that they are inexpensive ways of getting in with the custom crowd, have more than adequate performance but lack entirely the expected vee-twin torque. Reliability is excellent, the finish better than most. You can get away with running them into the ground or lavish a bit of tender loving care on them, keep 'em going for ages.

J.L.