Any thoughts on the FZR 400 1990 vintage..?

Hey ya'll, just wondering if anyone has any pros or cons on a 1990 fzr400....?...i am looking at one that is claimed to be in immaculate condition with only 8500 miles on it....i plan to look at it this week and see for myself in person...

what i am curious about is the history of a bike such as this...what are the particular models regulary prone to have problems with, if anything...i did some research and found virtually nothing on this bike, other than a tip on the top speed restrictor tab...and the fact that this bike is supposedly highly coveted in europe and gets rave reviews as an extremely capapble canyon carver....

if anyone has any insight on the model it would be appreciated...

thanks

Buy it fast, they are gems. Most have been run ragged but if it
is truely in good cond they are a sweet ride that handle well
even by todays standard.

I wonder if there is a way to check the mileage for sure. Seems to low for the year.

How much?

hey black widow....sorry to hear about ms. raven....at least it wasnt too serious...

yeah i am curious as to how honest the mileage is on that bike...perhaps it was in someone's little collection and finally parted with it...
price is 2900....

that bike ought to keep up with yall on the rides dont ya think....?...hehe

Roodawg307 said:

hey black widow....sorry to hear about ms. raven....at least it wasnt too serious...

yeah i am curious as to how honest the mileage is on that bike...perhaps it was in someone's little collection and finally parted with it...
price is 2900....

that bike ought to keep up with yall on the rides dont ya think....?...hehe

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No the fall was not serious at all, i had already closed the engine and had the bike in neutral (probably the fault). But i was occupied with the stupid cowl that was occupying my left hand. See i was holding the seat cowl in my hand and also trying to stop, and once i was on gravel i had completely stopped, and the bike started to go down, i knew it was a lost cause, gravel + bike gone down more then 20%, if i had tried to keep it steady it would probably drown me aswell and even injure me so i leaped off with the stupid seat cowl.

Make sure you ask the owner how long he's had it? If he says anything more then 5-7 years then its a collection like you say, otherwise if he says anything less then a year - i know i would surely think MORE then twice! Hope you know what i mean. I can expand if you want.

And ofcourse you'll be able to keep up. dont worry, We have a 250 on the ride as well. Plus they usually make the fasted bike (last ride mine) SWEEP Probably just giving me the ill treatment You'll do fine, the bike will keep up well!

But it if it is good shape. Way ahead of its time. Lots of people take the 400 engine out and stuff in one of the old 600 engines. Very cool bike. Oh yeah, check the oil drain bolt and the brake bolts. If there are holes drilled through them then the bike was more than likely a race bike. It may still be in good shape but you should be aware of that part of its history. BTW if you pass get some pics and pm me with them.

thanks ya'll for the advice on the fzr....thats definitely a good thing to ask widow...and hutch an equally good thing for me to check out on the bike as well....i will keep all that in mind when i go look at it...

Roodawg307 said:

that bike ought to keep up with yall on the rides dont ya think....?...hehe

Click to expand...

You bet!

We really don't go THAT fast and everyone in the front is usually really nice at either slowing down on the straights or wait at the next stop sign. They haven't lost me yet and I have the slowest bike on every ride.

I had a 600 FZR, brother-in-law still has it. It was a fun bike to ride as it's light, good at corners, lots of power high in the rev range, not too much torque for a novice rider and would stop on a dime. It had the best headlights of any bike I have owned. The 400s are rare as they were only made a short time and are prized to race.

Two things to keep in mind, parts are getting harder to get from Yamaha. I had to wait sometimes a month for parts for the 600 and there were many 600s. The rear tire size makes it somewhat difficult to get a replacement. You will few maybe only one choice of rear rubber. The narrow rear swingarm prevents putting a more common tire size on.

Unless you are nostalgic about the FZR, and again it is a fun bike, I would look for something newer. I have noticed you are looking for a replacement for your 250 Kawa. I suggest an air cooled 600 cc bike which will have reasonable torque but not horsepower. The Katanas were air cooled and fully faired. Another choice would be a 4 cylinder 600cc water cooled bike. Most of these bikes make most of their power high up the rev range, so a novice rider could stay out of that zone and feel comfortable. Then there is always the Suzuki SV, a favorite of everone who owns one.

well bummer drag batman....the fzr sold to a guy in minnesota..it was being crated up when i called them...so on with the hunt....its getting harder to find decent 600 f2's or f3's which is what i really want....just have to keep looking....