Return of the SR400 thumper

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CafeRay

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Yamaha is going to be selling their iconic SR400 again in Europe.

[video=youtube;06pFjjclERA]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=06pFjjclERA[/video]

These bikes are basically being marketed as a blank slate for customizing. Hugely popular bike for customizing, bulletproof motor, very easy to work on. Kickstart only.
The bike originally started as a 400, then a 500 for NA. they made it for over 25 years until 1999.
Won't be coming to NA, 6000 euros for a 25 hp bike may have something to do with that.

YamahaSR4002013-700x325.jpg


The idea is that you are going to spend $8500 on the most basic bare bones bike possible, then customize it with added thousands, to get a $10000 bike with 25 hp.

...and they wonder why European sales are plummeting...
 
Nice, but $8500? Europeans do love older designs though. We know the sales drill here: Harley, harley clone, sport bike, weirdos. The SR400 was already a retro bike when introduced, so now it's super-retro.

It would do as well as the tu250x here (cute, but $5500?), without the added help of MSF courses.
 
I have a TU250X and I'm not sure I could give up electric start and EFI in exchange for carbs and kickstart.

Kickstart is great for dirt bikes that get wet though.
 
I remember when I was 12 learning to ride on a 4 speed Vespa, I probably weighed a 100 lbs and had to put the thing on the center stand and jump on the kick start with all my weight, It was such an accomplishment when I was big enough to stand upright and kick start it without the stand. Kick starts just have that classic manliness to them...
 
When I need to get out of the train station before the lineup starts and take almost half an hour to exit, I need that electric start. I am that guy who is putting on their helmet in the train and running to the bike and activating it and zooming out before I get caught in parking lot gridlock.

How long does it take to kickstart a bike on a cold day anyway? I'm assuming you also need to pull the carb choke and let it warm up a bit while cars queue up to exit the lot.
 
wtf?? Am I missing something? You get out of the train and on to your bike? Now I don't know your circumstances but why don't you just ride to wherever the hell you're going?
 
The riding I like to do is in the country away from both people and traffic. My favourite time is when I have the road only to myself.

The reason I don't ride to work is because it would be unpleasant even in the summer when it is warmer. To get there I would have to commute the entire way in rush hour traffic on the 401 and then the DVP on a bike with a top speed of 120. Maybe if I had a more powerful bike it would be different.

It just seems a lot less stressful not having to go down the DVP with angry road ragers because of the gridlock.

With the train, you sit down and after a few quiet stops you're there. I am on the train for 50 minutes. Driving would take longer because of traffic.

Traffic is bad now. 10-60 km/hr traffic on the 401 westbound where I live during rush hour until you pass Whitby and every year it gets worse.
 
I dunno what to make of EU prices ... the YZF-R125 is more expensive than the WR250X over there, apparently. Both of those are cheaper than what the SR400 supposedly costs, everything else is over 6000 euros. It would have to come in pretty cheap here to even have a chance ... $8500 would definitely be a non-starter, Yamaha would not be so dumb as to even try. $6000 or less ... maybe, but they would still be looking at only a handful of sales. Interesting idea, would never work here and probably shouldn't - the same people who might be interested in these could probably be satisfied with the 70's and 80's bikes we still have kicking around.

Lol @ people in thread worried about kickstart & carbs - this bike is not targeted at you, I guess.
 
Sunspark said:
How long does it take to kickstart a bike on a cold day anyway? I'm assuming you also need to pull the carb choke and let it warm up a bit while cars queue up to exit the lot.
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My oldest ride is a '76 185 Suzuki TS and is it ever a HOOT! Kick start, that 2 stroke smell and sound.... It is indestructible but it's not the best performing bike ever lol.

This new Yamaha is for someone booting around town on something that feels different, special per se. Sport bikes aren't fun in congested traffic.

Nothing like EFI and an E Start. It's old school, if she's in good shape, half a kick and you let her warm up lol. Bad weather, maybe a few kicks and once again, warm her up. Nothing like the bikes of today.
 
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I'm pretty sure this bike has EFI. Kick starting on a modern engine should be trivial.
6000 is list, and includes the VAT. Europeans dont have the price, plus, plus, plus BS we put up with.

"That loaf of bread is $2, plus $1 delivery, $1 grocery store prep, $1 bread license, plus HST"
 
I guess this would need to be looked up. As I understand it, the reason you would want a kickstart today is because if you are off-roading and the bike gets wet and the battery shorts out you can still start up the motor again.

However an ECU computer needs steady power to begin with as I understand it, so if your battery is shorted the ECU cannot operate the EFI.

On a carb bike, you don't need a computer to release fuel to it. So if you have manually started it with your foot, fuel will flow and the motor will start up and you aren't stuck in the back of beyond.

So, if this is truly EFI with a kickstart then I would consider this vestigial and vanity because it cannot function as a useful feature in the lack of electricity and requires an operating battery while you are manually starting the motor.

Removing the lever and parts for the kickstart of a battery on switch would reduce both weight and cost.

I apologize for sounding so negative, I like the way the bike looks.
 
Neo-retro

post-retro
 
Sunspark said:
I guess this would need to be looked up. As I understand it, the reason you would want a kickstart today is because if you are off-roading and the bike gets wet and the battery shorts out you can still start up the motor again.

However an ECU computer needs steady power to begin with as I understand it, so if your battery is shorted the ECU cannot operate the EFI.

On a carb bike, you don't need a computer to release fuel to it. So if you have manually started it with your foot, fuel will flow and the motor will start up and you aren't stuck in the back of beyond.

So, if this is truly EFI with a kickstart then I would consider this vestigial and vanity because it cannot function as a useful feature in the lack of electricity and requires an operating battery while you are manually starting the motor.

Removing the lever and parts for the kickstart of a battery on switch would reduce both weight and cost.

I apologize for sounding so negative, I like the way the bike looks.
Click to expand...

I have no idea about the bike in question, but if the battery just needs to run a computer, it can be damn small. You only need the large battery for starting. I would expect kickstart would be lighter than a large battery, starter and associated wiring (even if a small battery was required for the ecu).
 
GreyGhost said:
I have no idea about the bike in question, but if the battery just needs to run a computer, it can be damn small. You only need the large battery for starting. I would expect kickstart would be lighter than a large battery, starter and associated wiring (even if a small battery was required for the ecu).
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If it's Euro 6 (and eventually CARB) compliant, it's got to be EFI, like the tu250. So lights, ecu, fuel pump are on before ignition. That means some sort of 12v battery, right?

Definitely like the thing. I'm guessing American dealers dipping down to $5k + extras. Up here, we'll see $8k, no sweat. Remember, leftover CB1100s still sticker at $13-$14k, despite the debut of the new EX version.
 
If its EFI then it's a great bike to have. Air cooled thumpers are great for simplicity of maintenance.

The CB1100 thing is strange. I am sure you could save many thousands by simply buying it in the USA new and riding it over the border.

I know someone who drove to the border and bought a new TU250X from the dealer and imported it legal with the paperwork and permits and saved at least a thousand even after factoring in fees and taxes and gas both ways and this is a bike that is already affordable locally. I think the markup on the CB1100 in Canada must be huge.
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