Honda CB400 Gallery

The 400 is the CB400 Dream and, like the manual version, is a four-stroke, twin-cylinder machine. The Auto's engine differs in tune from the manual and has 3obhp at 8ooorpm compared to 43bhp at 5000rpm. Torque is down just a little to 20.251b ft at 6000, which is 2000rpm lower down the rev range than its sister bike and much more useful for its semi-automatic gearbox which has just two gears. The modifications are by way of smaller carburettors, smaller ports and milder camshaft. The three-valves per cylinder (two inlet, one exhaust) twin with chain-driven contra-rotating balance shafts in auto guise is a very smooth and well-mannered machine indeed, even if performance is riot a strong point.

The bike's gearbox is not truly automatic in the car sense, being a two speed unit with torque converter and manual change. First gear is for up to 50mph.

Riding the 400 requires a new technique. The bike will only start if the gear selector is in neutral and the gearchange order is neutral at the bottom, with the two gears 'up', second above first. Should you forget to take the bike out of gear and put the side stand down, a failsafe switch will cut-out the ignition, thus preventing the bike from taking off without the rider.

The bike works remarkably well if just left in the higher of its two ratios and will pull away, albeit fairly slowly, from second gear. As can be expected, even using both gears, acceleration is not startling, with a standing start quarter mile time of 17.2 sees. Fuel consumption is good, however, and can average out at just on 60mpg.

With the exception of the gear-position indicator replacing the unnecessary tachometer, and a parking brake replacing the clutch lever, the CB400 Auto is just like the pre-Super Dream manual version with its 'Americanised' styling and attractive Comstar wheels.

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Bike	Image	Description
HONDA 400/4 1975		Honda CB400 N road test
1975 Honda - Mike Hailwood Replica		Engine: Honda 400/4 with polished ports and casings  Carbs: Fully refurbished and ultrasonic cleaned  Ignition: Boyer Brandsen with battery and total loss system Frame: Powder coated (with V5). Goldstar clip-on's and Amal levers  Forks: CB 650 35mm with new top yoke and steering damper   Brakes: Grimeca 230mm 4 l/s front and standard polished rear Shocks: New Hogan classic units  Drive: New chain and sprockets Wheels: New Akront style front and rear with stainless spokes
1975 Honda CB400/4		The 400/4 quickly established itself as a favourite with British riders and came to be regarded as one of the "classic" Honda's. Displacing 408cc and delivering 37bhp at 8,500rpm it offered a top speed of 103mph coupled to good handling, light weight and good (for the period) brakes, resulting in a machine that could cover "A" and "B" roads rapidly whilst providing the rider with a great deal of entertainment. Honda CB400 road test Image provided by www.classic-auctions.com.
1975 Honda CB400 F Supersport
1975 Honda CB 400F		The CB400 Four is a little jewel of a motorcycle, produced in the cafe racer style from 1975 to 1977. Its single overhead-cam inline-four engine is a conventional, two-valve per cylinder design, but the small dimensions of the engine internals allow it to rev to a dizzy-for-the-time 11,000rpm.
1975 Honda CB400F		More info..
1976 Honda CB400 Four		Although the CB400 Four was a successful design, it was soon replaced by cheaper, less impressive parallel twin machines, such as the three-valves per cylinder CB400 Dream and later Super Dream. However, these designs did not have the style, panache or performance of the little 400 Four.
1976 Honda 400/4
1977 Honda 400/4
1977 Honda CB 400F2
1977 Honda CB400F (400/4)
1977 Honda 400/4 F2 1975
1978 Honda CB 400N		Air cooled, parallel twin cylinder, four stroke, SOHC, 3 valves per cylinder, 360° crankshaft and twin balance-shafts 103mph 52mpg 175kg 6 speed
1978 Honda CB 400T
1978 Honda CB 400A Hondamatic		This is a Honda CB400AT "Hondamatic", it is quite a rare model now as not many were sold to the UK market. Very similar to the CB400T (manual), but has a 2-speed automatic gearbox, hence no clutch.
1978 Honda CB 400A Hondamatic
1981 Honda CB400N Superdream
1981 Honda CB 400T		The rather stubby design of the CB400T changed when Honda short after introduced the new "Euro-line" design with the CB900 Bol d'Or. In the meantime it was launched in a version with the same design as the CX500 Costum: The CM400. Later was the engine changed to 450ccm in the hunt for bigger torque, meanwhile the power remained the same.
1981 Honda CB400A
1982 Honda CB400 T Hawk
1988 Honda CB-1 400
1990 Honda CB 400SF Super Four		Liquid cooled, transverse four cylinders, four stroke 168kg 5 speed 53bhp @ 10,000rpm

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