www.zxrworld.co.uk

How quick are these things? Again, dont forget Im used to cars. I considered my Supra Twin Turbo (pretty standard, had around 380 bhp) to be pretty quick once she got going.

I know off the mark it should be quick, but Ive had a few bike owners frown at me a little bit when Ive talked about getting a 400, saying I would have to rev them too high etc. Would a 600cc (say, a Bandit) really eat me or is that all rubbish?

Really grateful for any opinions, guys

Andy

My mate had a bandit when I had my 400.

It was pretty even until triple figures, then I would leave him for dead!

I think the only 'bikers' who ridicule the idea of a 400 are the ones who've never ridden one. It's also these same people who you'll be talking to later saying "Is that ONLY a 400cc???" after you've stayed right with them or even beaten them when they're trying to show off.

More importantly, I think I learnt more in the first year on my 400 than I would have in 10 years on a bigger bike, because I had to learn to actually RIDE rather than open the throttle on the straight bits. All my mates have always had bigger bikes, and since my 400 days they still can't beat me!

And this revving crap?? I've never understood that! Do they mean they can't use a gearbox? Tell them that they've got The Ghey.

Do you know what?....

.... That was JUST the reply I was looking for. Thank you. Id much rather be a good rider rather than just use outright force. That will come later when I get a bigger toy in a couple of years (here's hoping!), and that combined with a bit of skill should make a good combination!

Out of curiousity... how tall are you/what do you weigh? Im 5"11 and weigh about 15 stone. Is that okay for a 400? I dont want to look like a plank!

Andy

when i had mine my mates had cbr600s, fzr600, zx6rs, and zx9rs and none of em would keep up with my zxr400 on the twisties and they all admit it!

I used to ride with my friend Harv, he had a 2005 R6. I used to race him off the lights and I would stay just with him till I hit 3rd gear then he would start to open up a gap....unless there was a corner then he would slow down and I would keep the power on. He used to get pissed at me going round him in corners

People say about revving.....that's the idea isn't it. Take it to the redline!!!! I don't think Kawasaki would make a bike with the redline at 14,500rpm if it was only meant to rev upto 10,000rpm.

The only reason most people don't hit redline on big bikes is coz they can't!!!

Andy_SW20 wrote:Out of curiousity... how tall are you/what do you weigh? Im 5"11 and weigh about 15 stone. Is that okay for a 400? I dont want to look like a plank!

Andy

I'm 5'11" and err... a few pies ago whilst I had my ZXR I was around 11 stone.

I'm at least a stone more now, but f*** you all! I'm chomping down hotdogs and drinking cider and watching this afternoons bike racing!!!

Mmmmm....

masterofinsanity wrote:when i had mine my mates had cbr600s, fzr600, zx6rs, and zx9rs and none of em would keep up with my zxr400 on the twisties and they all admit it!

yeah just sharpe angled twisties, there aint no 400 that can keep up on the highways, as in theory ( no cars ) most highways u can average well above the zxr400 top speed which in theory would = zxr will never win vs a 600,

plus it really ticks me off the only way to have fun on a zxr400 is to risk becoming another death statistic cause the only way to have fun is hold you life on the life round country lane twisties, well carry on i shall keep that toad for the track,

Rob

ZXR400 65 hp almost no torque so i wont bother putting it up
a decent 600 105 rw hp
1litre superbike 175+hp

unless u want to risk ur life going round bends like the proverbial dickhead, then the zxr400 is for you, if you to scare yourself every now n then on power then u need 600cc and above, and since u got the supra, me thinks u will need atleast a 600,

Rob

Well to look at it another way:

Your Supra weighs 1200kg? with 380hp

ZXR 400 = 159kg and 65hp

I can't be arsed to do the calculations, but hp per tonne, I think you'll find the ZXR just has it?

Jamz wrote:Well to look at it another way:

Your Supra weighs 1200kg? with 380hp

ZXR 400 = 159kg and 65hp

I can't be arsed to do the calculations, but hp per tonne, I think you'll find the ZXR just has it?

i used to think like that aswell, untill you start to talk about torque, you find the supra will have toad loads of it,

Rob

i spose it depends on what sort of rider u will be...

if u want the feeling of your face being pulled off then go for a 1000cc +

if u want something that will kinda snap your neck but rather bends it then go for a 600-750cc

if u want a starter bike with plenty of excitement then a 400 will do just fine. trust me, as a newbie rider your skill/bottle will give up way before the bike does

all this talk of BHP and torque gets me down a bit. on the road a bike's torque/bhp etc can never be met fully by the rider, if it is then the rider will def lose their license.

gem

If your using the bikes full potential on the road then you should be on the racetrack anyway, all the talk of figures this and that is the kinda bullshit you hear people down the pub talking about. One trying to out-do the other, 'my bikes better than yours cos it has 0.004567more horsepower than your at 10345.345KRPM', who gives a f*** about that? Only anal statician type people who think the figures acutally mean anything on the road.

At the end of the day i dont ride for figures, i ride for fun. If knowing how much of this that and the other your bike has gives you a hard on then fair enough, but please, f*** off out of my face with it. Cos while im listening to some utter bore, i could be out riding the fucking thing.

Rant over

Last time I was at Donnington Park, I was trying to work out what the gaggle of 2-stroke bikes were that were leading the race in the 400 Open.

It didn't take long before I realised they were actually -ing 125's!!!

I'm sure the 400's and 250's whupped their ass on the other side of the circuit, but it kind of gives you an idea of how even on the track horsepower doesn't really mean toad when it comes to really having to ride challenging twisties.

Jamz wrote:Last time I was at Donnington Park, I was trying to work out what the gaggle of 2-stroke bikes were that were leading the race in the 400 Open.

It didn't take long before I realised they were actually -ing 125's!!!

I'm sure the 400's and 250's whupped their ass on the other side of the circuit, but it kind of gives you an idea of how even on the track horsepower doesn't really mean toad when it comes to really having to ride challenging twisties.

thankyou, you just backed up my claims you got to ride like an butt on a smaller bike just to get ya thrills,

Rob

Gemini wrote:i spose it depends on what sort of rider u will be...

if u want the feeling of your face being pulled off then go for a 1000cc +

if u want something that will kinda snap your neck but rather bends it then go for a 600-750cc

if u want a starter bike with plenty of excitement then a 400 will do just fine. trust me, as a newbie rider your skill/bottle will give up way before the bike does

all this talk of BHP and torque gets me down a bit. on the road a bike's torque/bhp etc can never be met fully by the rider, if it is then the rider will def lose their license.

gem

yup i agree you should start off 125cc then 400cc then 600+,

however for the guy who wants a bike to feel like its accelerating after being used to a very powerfull jap car, then the bigger the cc the better, however you should spend awhile on a 125 or 400, i still maintain that for the ppl who stupidly rag there 400's round the sharp twisties should leave it for the track,

Rob