Anyone with an SR400?

[twowheeladdict]

These have been on my radar, but felt the new price was too high.  Starting to see used ones for sale.  Anyone have experience with one?

[faffi]

No, only briefly with an SR500. But I am myself considering one. Preferably in 60th anniversary livery.

[john fish]

Interesting bike.  200+ page thread on ADVRider:

https://www.advrider.com/f/threads/new-yamaha-sr400-confirmed-for-usa.849303/

[kirkemon]

I love single cylinders, but just a little too small for my taste. I have a Honda GB500 with the XL600 piston and sleeve.
It gets along very well, and with new Bridgestone's handles quite well. 
I do like the weight of the SR and the exercise when starting it.

[twowheeladdict]

I love single cylinders, but just a little too small for my taste. I have a Honda GB500 with the XL600 piston and sleeve.
It gets along very well, and with new Bridgestone's handles quite well. 
I do like the weight of the SR and the exercise when starting it.

Small? Or low power for your tastes?  That GB 500 is an interesting looking bike. 

[faffi]

I love single cylinders, but just a little too small for my taste. I have a Honda GB500 with the XL600 piston and sleeve.
It gets along very well, and with new Bridgestone's handles quite well. 
I do like the weight of the SR and the exercise when starting it.

CYCLE magazine had an article on the GB500, where IIRC they got it to do a 12.7 quarter mile after fitting a big bore kit, an exhaust system and probably a few more things. The GB500, and XBR500, can also be kicked to life whenever you feel like it 

[SirIzak]

I had a 2015 SR400 for a couple years and about 20,000 miles and loved every bit of it! Completely reliable, other than tires and oil changes the only thing it needed in that time was a set of rear brake pads. It was a bit small for my admittedly large frame (6'3" and about 230lbs) but around town and even short jaunts on the freeway were fantastic, and it made a lovely little gravel bike! Got anywhere between 50 and 80MPG depending on how I tossed it around. Generally a fabulous little bike. The EFI made kick starting a nearly universal one-and-done event, never an issue starting hot or cold (a bit over 100F to a bit below 30F). Sadly I was hit on it (I made out okay enough) and by the time everything was said and done my little SR400 was totaled and I couldn't find another 2015 to replace it (I really liked the one year only gray on the '15 and the black on the '16 just didn't do anything for me) and while shopping fell in love with a V7 at Cadre and stopped my search for another SR400. That said, if a 2015 (or some of the cool colors the rest of the world got) just happened to pop up for not a whole lot of dough I would certainly make room for it in the garage!

Let me know if I can be of any assistance or information, the SR400 was an awesome bike, and felt nearly as powerful as my old SR & XR500's of the 80's.

[twowheeladdict]

I had a 2015 SR400 for a couple years and about 20,000 miles and loved every bit of it! Completely reliable, other than tires and oil changes the only thing it needed in that time was a set of rear brake pads. It was a bit small for my admittedly large frame (6'3" and about 230lbs) but around town and even short jaunts on the freeway were fantastic, and it made a lovely little gravel bike! Got anywhere between 50 and 80MPG depending on how I tossed it around. Generally a fabulous little bike. The EFI made kick starting a nearly universal one-and-done event, never an issue starting hot or cold (a bit over 100F to a bit below 30F). Sadly I was hit on it (I made out okay enough) and by the time everything was said and done my little SR400 was totaled and I couldn't find another 2015 to replace it (I really liked the one year only gray on the '15 and the black on the '16 just didn't do anything for me) and while shopping fell in love with a V7 at Cadre and stopped my search for another SR400. That said, if a 2015 (or some of the cool colors the rest of the world got) just happened to pop up for not a whole lot of dough I would certainly make room for it in the garage!

Let me know if I can be of any assistance or information, the SR400 was an awesome bike, and felt nearly as powerful as my old SR & XR500's of the 80's.

I am close to pulling the trigger on one.  If I do I will definitely reach out to you. 

Although, if I lived near Cadre I'd probably have more than two Moto Guzzi in the garage.

[majstevetrevor]

I’ve been tempted by the SR 400 as well! Really love single cylinders, although I don’t think this one has a long stroke, which I prefer. But still, seems like a cool little bike, and amenable to customizing. Some nice examples on the Youtube etc.  Keep us posted!

[faffi]

Royal Enfield 350 and 411 have both long stroke air cooled single cylinder engines.

[majstevetrevor]

Royal Enfield 350 and 411 have both long stroke air cooled single cylinder engines.

Thanks, yeah I used to have one of the UCE 500s, which I loved for the feel of the engine, both feeling it thumping along underneath you and also the feel of the torque at virtually any rpm.  What I didn’t love were the constant problems! My sense is it’s kind of hit or miss with those last generation REs, some are relatively reliable, and some are one problem after another. Good for a second bike but not for an only in my book, which is why I now have my V7III.

I did test ride one of the new 350s, but it was far too smooth for my liking. It lost everything I liked about the 500, but by all accounts is very much more reliable.

[faffi]

Yes, the new ones are totally different to the earlier engines; better made and balancers for reduced vibrations. And unfortunately the kick starter was lost. They are also terribly heavy beasts; the lightest 350 is heavier than Yamaha MT-07 that has almost 4 times the power.

BTW, learn to change oil on your coming SR400 here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ft1IkFZkJts

[twowheeladdict]

I’ve been tempted by the SR 400 as well! Really love single cylinders, although I don’t think this one has a long stroke, which I prefer. But still, seems like a cool little bike, and amenable to customizing. Some nice examples on the Youtube etc.  Keep us posted!

I made the mistake of going on WeBike.com.  The bolt on possibilities seem endless.

[twowheeladdict]

Yes, the new ones are totally different to the earlier engines; better made and balancers for reduced vibrations. And unfortunately the kick starter was lost. They are also terribly heavy beasts; the lightest 350 is heavier than Yamaha MT-07 that has almost 4 times the power.

BTW, learn to change oil on your coming SR400 here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ft1IkFZkJts

LOL!  Fortunately it is coming with a service manual.    I actually looked at the SR400 when I was buying my '15 FZ-07.  The FZ made sense at the time. 

[faffi]

But there is no humor in the service manual

[twowheeladdict]

But there is no humor in the service manual

The worst part about his videos is the bikes just sitting outside under a tarp.  Makes me cringe.

[twowheeladdict]

Picked it up today.







Comes with accessories.







And a tool kit.

The first thing I did was remove the warning sticker that was on the fuel tank.

[kballowe]

Picked it up today.


Comes with accessories.

And a tool kit.

The first thing I did was remove the warning sticker that was on the fuel tank.

Ah, a carb and a fuel petcock.  Simplicity.  And I love those laced spoke wheels !

[faffi]

Pretty sure it is fuel injected.

[twowheeladdict]

Ah, a carb and a fuel petcock.  Simplicity.  And I love those laced spoke wheels !

Fuel injection, but they left everything in place from the pre-2010 carb days.  Even left the mount for a second front disk from back when they had single pot calipers.

[majstevetrevor]

Ooh, very fun! I am jealous..

[drab]

I bought a 2016 (?) in 2019 as my first motorcycle. I had it for a few months and mostly remember my hands tingling all the time. I sold it and bought a 2018 v7iii stone. Which I have put 28,000 miles on so far.

If I never had to drive over 50 I would have liked the SR400 a lot more.