Meet The Classic Bike A Honda 400 Four from 1975 

That’s a beautiful bike Brian.

I had one back in ‘82…tbh it felt dated then, but they are beautiful, and that’ll always count. Thank you

400/4's, Gt380's,cb360's etc amongst a few others back in the day, weren't very high on anyone's wish list as not much if any quicker, than most L plated 250's. Though I never liked them myself, have to applaud this particular owner and his bike.👏👏 Many more happy rides to him. Great video...enjoyed it very much.🍻

Heard a rumour back then that Honda wanted to stop production because they nearly cost as much to produce as a 750 four. Great little bike and like a lot of stuff from that era you can look after them your self.

The artistry involved in the design of these machines is stunning.

20:10 - perception was that back then the Japanese were making their frames out of what amounts to water or gas pipe. I had a 750 F1 back in the late 80's and although the geometry felt absolutely fine, if you hit a camber change, raised/thick white lines, a surface change, whatever, at any kind of speed in a fast sweeper it would quite often go into a what I can only describe as a 'corkscrewing' wobble which I was in no doubt was the frame flexing. Which of course is why the likes of Rickman made frames for them which were little different in construction/geometry but of rather better tube.

I had one of these in the early '80s; a fine 'little' bike and very capable. A decent set of Koni rear shocks cures a lot of that Honda wallow and bounce, making for a very good handler. Good ground clearance though the exhaust collector would scrape on right handers, (I was young then) and the bike was well capable of longer rides here in Australia of 500km plus. One of those bikes I wish I still had.

Thanks so much for the video. I’m no boy racer, I have two SR 250s 😂 but I think “Hero“ is a bit of a stretch for 400 four owners back in the day. My neighbour Brian did accountancy and he used his to ride back-and-forth to work. More a solid reliable commuter.

The exhaust on the 400 4 has always been one of the best looking designs.

I owned the 550 super sport which I think was made in the same year ( I bought it from a car yard back in the 80s for Aust. $550). It was a much better bike then the old K2 750 I owned and if the 400 is anything like the 550 was it must be a great bike. I haven't upgraded the age of the bikes I own by much. I now own an 82 VF 750 Magna.

These early ones had the pillion foot rests on the swing arm, later on they were mounted on the sub frame, but these meant the pillion had their legs going up and down 😂😂

Pretty sure you owned a Velocette, too!

I had one of those, bloody hard work to ride fast, constantly changing gear, no torque below 4.5k revs and 30mpg. Never again.

thats so strange i own one and visit my uncle in the villlage you was riding in outwell every week with it

Helmet on the tank? Bit of a scratch issue

10:19 those indicators don't look right to me, they look like the American ones, I don't remember mine being that huge 😮

Always a good looking bike but I always thought they were dimensionally too smal,l especially for the taller rider 6'1"

Girls bike where I come from. Jus saying

Look like American spec indicators 🙄

Ugly seat and lose the rack. Spoils the beautiful lines of the bike.

Weren't they really slow, those small four-cylinder machines from the 1970's? I think so. I tried a Suzuki GS 500, in 1980, and it had power like a rubber-band. Sure, it was smooth, but also felt awkwardly lazy. My Suzuki GT 550, two-stroke, was an absolute rocket in comparison...😂