With the deluge of grey imports still flowing strongly into the UK, it seems like a good idea to pick out the best of the bunch, although such is the variety of condition and mileage that it’s no easy matter to give a definitive answer, but that’s never stopped the UMG before. The game started with the flighty yet fierce 250 and 400 replicas and when both the demand and structure of importing were established expanded to just about anything that could still turn a wheel in Japan or America. Lately, that includes new bikes from those sources and Europe. Only belatedly have the official importers managed to fight back with cheapish bikes. The future isn’t entirely clear - either the official importers will go the cheap bikes sold in large quantities route or they will carry on pissing off the punters. If the latter, both the grey and parallel importers will survive; if the former they could well go out of business over the next few years. At least it makes for interesting times and bargain prices right now.
Race Reps
In many ways the UK market 600s are a better bet than the 250 and 400cc replicas, which are only really so popular and ubiquitous in Japan because of their home market licensing laws. As always, it seems, Honda are leading contenders in both categories. The only reason for buying the 250 rather than the 400 is its relative cheapness. It's probably worth paying the extra dosh unless you really do exult in the maximum buzziness of the smaller four. Both have very tough engines, not much need to worry until past the 40000 mile mark.
Honda got a handle on the replica scene with the RR series that came out in 1988, the Aero’s engine gaining a whole new chassis (identified by the Tri-Arm name) that made for some brilliant times in the curves. Although the Tri-Arm CBR was hot stuff it was soon eclipsed by the Gull-Arm version, with new alloy chassis and swinging arm. As Jap replica 400s go, this is the one to beat. It was so good that it hasn't been radically improved upon over the past eight years.
Look to pay £3500 for something a few years old with less than 10000 miles on the clock. Make sure it's been derestricted and that the clutch and electrics are in fine fettle. Otherwise they are tough old beasts that are extremely difficult to beat in the curves; good for around 130mph, though still heavy on fuel, tyres and brake pads - something that goes for all the import 400 replicas. You can pay as much as five grand for a nearly new one but there are much better buys found in the bigger Jap fours for that kind of money.
It's not entirely clear if it was Honda’s marketing might or their engineering finesse which allowed them to shift so many CBR400’s on to the market when there were such hardcore rivals as the ZXR400 on offer. Like the CBR, this had its roots in a more mundane version, the ZX-4, which could pass for a minor version of the ZX-10 or the inspiration for the UK market ZZR250 twin.
At 345lbs dry, one of the lighter replicas and at the time the fastest through the curves, although it was later to be edged out by the Gull-arm CBRs. The Yam had slightly less need to rev to shift, benefited further from the EXUP fitted from 1988 onwards. The design went on to the usual replica extremes of styling and lack of comfort, but no worse than other highway hoodlums, peaking out in 1991 with the RR version.
Even when derestricted, all the 400s chassis are well up to the power and can be a real delight to sling through the curves if tiresome on the motorway. The FZR engines are tough, gearbox and clutch the most likely areas of demise even if they are stronger than the similar stuff fitted to the 600s. The valves may go down if, as is often the case, they haven't been touched for 20,000 miles or so!
It's possible to pick up a perfectly decent FZR for £2500, though another grand or fifteen hundred is really needed for the prime examples. It’s one of those bikes where the more you search around the better’s the deal - for the same money it's possible to buy something that’s either passable or really brilliant. Make some effort.
Suzuki started early in the total replica game, the 1984 GSXR400 being essentially similar in concept and design to the UK’s first GSXR750, though having only 60 horses and 340lbs to play with. It also had a more comfortable seat than the bigger bike, in contrast to the all or nothing nature of the mill. By 1986, the odd if unique alloy square section tube frame was swapped for a wraparound chassis with a passing nod to the Deltabox series. Anyone who's ridden the older bikes will be well relieved by this move, although it was still a touch marginal when the going got tough.
It wasn’t until 1990 that Suzuki reverted to the original, square section frame, although earlier models had gone more and more down the replica route with regards to styling - lack of comfort, arse in the air, etc. Luckily, this came with much improved suspension and had handling that put the heftier and more powerful 750 to shame. It was still an all or nothing trip, only buy one (recent stuff for £3500) if that’s what you like.
1989/90 seems a particularly good year for them, two grand for one with a bit of wear under its wheels but loads of life left - it has the toughest of the 250cc four cylinder engines. The only thing to look out for - surprise, surprise - is the electrics. The battery is marginal and extremely expensive to replace and running on one that won't hold a proper charge will do for the rest of the circuit! It's worth pulling the battery out to check its condition and test riding with the lights on. On the good side, it’s the only one of the 250/400s that's at all frugal, as much as 70mpg!
Briefly they appeared as official UK imports but prices were too silly to attract many punters to a bike that hadn't entirely shaken off its earlier reputation as complex and unreliable. A few years into its model life, the grey importers got into the game and the model became quite popular on the back of its mixture of brilliant handling and torque backed power output.
However, most people take one look at the complex four cylinder engine and decide no way, just do the oil and filter. Consequently, the valves can get in quite a state of neglect and some motors blow up without any warning. If paying serious money buy from a decent dealer who's going to come up with a proper warranty. Most people who've experienced the V-four's motive power go back for more and more!
Bargain Speedsters
Prime amongst these is the 1986/7 Honda CBR250 Four. Neatly styled with a half fairing; equipped with the obligatory 45 horses and carting around a mere 310lbs, this blended usefulness in a way the later replicas never managed and had most of the technology in its engine that was later to so enhance the CBR’s rep. Perhaps because it wasn't burdened with later strict emission and power regs, its freer breathing engine quite regularly turned in 60mpg, whilst the narrower tyres were better suited to its lack of mass and power; much longer lived than the high tech stickier rubber. If you find a nice one reasonably priced, buy it - they are that neat!
60 horses and 350lbs is still an interesting trip even in these days of R1 ferocity. It will kill dead the heftier middleweight fours in anything approaching a bend and also manage to put 125mph on the clock whilst turning in 55-60mpg. A tough water-cooled engine helps things along for the first 40-50000 miles, although the lack of used spare parts is worth taking note of - the square section frame looks like it will take any number of engines! They turn up in the importers at around the grand mark, which is bargain time as long as the mileage is reasonable. Faded cycle parts shine up quite nicely with a bit of elbow work. A great unsung hero with much of the usual Yamaha sexiness and toughness.
For those who insist on conventional or classic styling allied with modern design in a 400cc four cylinder package, then the best bet’s the Yamaha XJR400R. Rather overweight - more than the 1000cc R1 if you want to be nasty about it - but it manages to combine secure handling with more than adequate performance for sane needs. There's very little in this bike that’s any better than the straight UK 600 fours except the fact that it's grey and therefore turns up cheapish with very low miles on the clock. Some are for sale brand new at £3800, which is a bit over the top compared with 600 Bandit’s or even XJ600N’s. It wins on style, practicality and neatness. Not utterly compulsive, though.
Cruiser Crazies
Radians can fetch as much as two grand, especially if you wander into a dealers, but they can be found for half that if the 20-25000 miles on the clock isn’t a problem. It shouldn't be as the bikes tend to lead a mild, laid back life and the engines are usually good for at least 50000 miles; often no serious hassles until after 75000 miles. Plenty of XJ stuff around that can be fitted if the worst happens.
Only rarely do they crack through the two grand mark - usually the faster and crazier handling XS-2, which adds insult by coming with stock, junk, suspension and brakes. £1500 can buy a jolly nice XS650 or one full of hidden nasties dying electrics, rotted brakes, exhaust pipes about to fall apart, etc... all superficial but quite expensive to fix. Look around for the decent ones. There are some examples around the grand mark but unless you're very lucky they will be on their last legs, 80,000 miles plus and just about ready to implode.
Slick Singles
In theory, that shouldn't be a hassle for the Honda GB250, as its engine’s very similar to the CBX250. I say in theory because Honda sold so few of the latter bikes that they are rare in breakers. At least Honda dealers will listen to your tale of woe if you pretend you have a CBX. Not that spares should be that much of difficulty as the GB thumper is a well designed little device with no real inherent nastiness.
Its 31 horses don’t seem to do serious damage to the mechanicals, tougher than the earlier RS250 with its 20-25000 mile self-destruction routine. Some have even made it past the 50000 mile mark before general wear and tear takes its toll. Best to buy something with less than 20000 miles on the clock, priced at £1000-1500. There are cheaper options around but in the long term the amount of work needed won't work out as cheap as the initial price suggests.
Where the Estrella is more a pure exercise in styling, the GB has a classic mien but also a practical functionality that few modern bikes possess. Part of this is the feel of the bike, although high revving it can go into relaxed mode on the back of a modicum of low rev torque. Stick on a sixties BSA silencer, It sounds much more authentic and can cause similar confusion to the Estrella amongst the classic buffs.
As always with Hondas, wear hits the gearbox and clutch before much of the other engine. Camchains or tensioners are a possible area of concern, as is the generator, but nothing deep seated or chronic. Just hope that they have had the regular oil changes. Top speed, on a good day, is the ton, but adverse conditions can have that down to 90mph, a speed at which the bike is quite capable of cruising without blowing up into a million pieces.
If you mostly do just town work, with the odd outing into the real world, then the GB is more than enough, and faster than most two-wheeled devices through heavy city traffic. These kind of bikes should be imported in huge numbers and sold new for around the two grand mark. Trouble is, at that kind of price the bigger stuff would be left looking very silly.
The SRX250 Yamaha is more of the same, in a slightly more modern style. Mono-track rear end, faster turning steering and similar power adds up to a more invigorating ride through the bends but somehow lacking the coherent wholeness of the Honda. It’s basically down to what kind of motorcycling you like which bike you chose out of these two. Test ride both. The Yam’s a touch rougher running, though both bikes sport the usual balancers and relatively high tech layout, save that they are both air-cooled. Prices are a touch higher than for the Honda. A year or so down the line these bikes are going to be very dated, and therefore very cheap. Why? Because the same engineering that has done wonders for Japanese fours (R1, CBR9, etc) is trickling down to the singles - expect a 60hp, 400cc, water-cooled thumper that weighs less than 300lbs, maybe 250lbs. That's one hell of a lot of madness, which the Japs could push on to the market for next to nothing.
Vibrant Vees
The other V-twin of note, from Honda, is the Revere inspired Hawk - also available as the Bros, both in 400 and 650cc models. The high tech single sided swinging arm was retained but the hefty, power sapping shaft drive thrown away in favour of a chain. The difference in weight between the two models is a mere kilogram whilst the bigger motor puts out an extra 17 horses, at a far from wild 55hp. No choice, really. American models are often tuned to 60-65hp, not bad with only 365lbs to shift!
Its impossible to work out why they weren't imported instead of the Revere, much more dynamic on the road. But that goes for the whole Japanese industry, a catalogue of missed opportunities, rampant overpricing and just plain silliness. After all, that's why you're reading about grey imports.
Bizarre Blasters
The good thing about FZXs was that they tended to be only ridden in the summer, therefore didn’t suffer from the same rate of wear. Therefore, the state of the finish a good indication as to their real condition. It's even worth buying something with 40000 miles, or more, on the clock as long as the chassis is in a reasonable state. Prices go down to as little as a grand for such machines, though the prime meat will fetch over three times that! Figure 2000 to 2250 notes for a piece of motorcycling excess with less than 20000 miles on the clock, which will still turn heads despite being over ten years old.
One possible nasty to look out for, if the valves have never been touched they can start to burn out at 30000 miles worth doing a compression test on bikes with this kind of mileage. Wheelie merchants will eventually break the clutch and gearbox. Given the odd service, though, you can look forward to the bike going around the clock.
With the 1200cc’s of V-four excess comes 560lbs of mass that is kept under control by inadequate rear shocks and wimpy front forks, although the triple discs are more or less up to the job. The main requirement of V-Max owners is the ability to hang on as the monster winds itself up for the drag strip excess. Owners of Z1s, and the like, well know the inherent nastiness involved in trying to fling such mammoths through the bends but it’s kind of fun learning to master the madness. £3500 to £4500 will buy an awful lot of motorcycle - very few of them seriously thrashed, even fourteen year old examples in reasonable nick. Just as well because it’s a fearsomely complex mill.
If the complexity of Jap V-fours put off a lot of punters, the simplicity of their V-twins ought to appeal, save that the Japanese often turn a basic concept into an excess of engineering. This is never truer than in the custom context, the inspiration of Harley’s classic design often perverted until the connection is only vague in the extreme. The Japs get away with this when turning out 750-1500cc mammoths as the American original is far from svelte, but when applied to their home market in 250cc or 400cc format they usually miss the point completely.
The smaller Vs lacked the enthusiastic torque of their bigger brothers, made only a modicum of power and were never exactly lightweight. Their only saving grace that they were easy handling, looked pretty much the same as the big V’s and turn up on the import market, from time to time, at quite reasonable prices.
Of these, we much prefer the 400cc Vulcan, as it has better torque than most such devices, sits nicely on the road and looks almost Harley authentic in 1995-on guise. At 485lbs it's rather overweight whilst the finish can tarnish through a British winter unless carefully cleaned, but as 400 customs go it's about as authentic as it gets.
There are loads of other models that could be included here, so much depending on personal preference and experience, not to mention the way a particular machine has been treated. As always, scout around for the best bargains, make silly offers and beware of deals that appear too good to be true - often they are. The UMG gets a regular dose of tales of rip-offs - nearly new bikes sold as new, bent and twisted stuff hastily straightened, engines that only last long enough to get out of the street. That said, there are loads of brilliant bargains out there.
Dick Lewis