Interesting 400 Four

In article , AW
writes
>steve auvache wrote:
>
>> >It's also(?) an WW2 Americanism, the Martin M26 Marauder was given the
>> >nickname
>>
>> Wasn't the F16 Lockheed Lightning also called that?
>
>The F104 Starfighter was so known. The F16 and Lockheed Lightning are
>two different types though - the F16 is a current jet, named the
>Falcon while the Lockheed P38/F5 Lightning was a WW2 type nicknamed
>the Fork Tailed Devil by the Japanese but neither had the Widowmaker
>epithet applied..

If the Starfighter was the one that littered the German countryside
while keeping the world free from communist tyranny that is the one I
refer to.

--
steve auvache
A Bloo one with built in safety features
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In article , Ace
writes:

> On Sun, 19 Aug 2007 02:19:25 +0100, Mike Fleming
> wrote:
>
> >Have you ever actually ridden a 400-4? While it's not an experience
> >I'd recommend due to the gutless engine and wonky handling,
>
> You must have troed a lemon. Power is not exactly stunning compared
> with modern stuff but a decent example never feels gutless. And the
> handling? Wonky? Naah mate, you're just so far wide of the mark on
> this it's untrue.

I was riding a T140V at the time, and rode my girlfriend's 400-4,
which was a couple of years old. Like I say, the 400-4 had a gutless
engine and wonky handling. I take it you've never ridden a T140V?

--
Mike Fleming
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steve auvache writes:

> In article , AW
> writes
>>steve auvache wrote:
>>
>>> >It's also(?) an WW2 Americanism, the Martin M26 Marauder was given the
>>> >nickname
>>>
>>> Wasn't the F16 Lockheed Lightning also called that?
>>
>>The F104 Starfighter was so known. The F16 and Lockheed Lightning are
>>two different types though - the F16 is a current jet, named the
>>Falcon while the Lockheed P38/F5 Lightning was a WW2 type nicknamed
>>the Fork Tailed Devil by the Japanese but neither had the Widowmaker
>>epithet applied..
>
> If the Starfighter was the one that littered the German countryside
> while keeping the world free from communist tyranny that is the one I
> refer to.

That'll be the one.

--
Morini Corsaro 125 | CB450 K4 | XL250 Motosport | 900SSD | K1100LT
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The UKRMC FAQ: http://www.unixconsult.co.uk/bike/ukrmcfaq.html
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Mike Fleming wrote:

> >
> > You must have troed a lemon. Power is not exactly stunning compared
> > with modern stuff but a decent example never feels gutless. And the
> > handling? Wonky? Naah mate, you're just so far wide of the mark on
> > this it's untrue.
>
> I was riding a T140V at the time, and rode my girlfriend's 400-4,
> which was a couple of years old. Like I say, the 400-4 had a gutless
> engine and wonky handling. I take it you've never ridden a T140V?

You're comparing a 400 with a 750, ffs - of course it felt gutless *in
comparison*.

I suspect you're some kind of shite old Brit bike anorak and would
refuse to believe that the Japs could build something better....


--
SteveH 'You're not a real petrolhead unless you've owned an Alfa Romeo'
www.italiancar.co.uk - Honda VFR800 - Hongdou GY200 - Alfa 75 TSpark
Alfa 156 TSpark - B6 Passat 2.0TDI SE - COSOC KOTL
BOTAFOT #87 - BOTAFOF #18 - MRO # - UKRMSBC #7 - Apostle #2 - YTC #
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"SteveH" wrote in message

> Mike Fleming wrote:
>
> > >
> > > You must have troed a lemon. Power is not exactly stunning compared
> > > with modern stuff but a decent example never feels gutless. And the
> > > handling? Wonky? Naah mate, you're just so far wide of the mark on
> > > this it's untrue.
> >
> > I was riding a T140V at the time, and rode my girlfriend's 400-4,
> > which was a couple of years old. Like I say, the 400-4 had a gutless
> > engine and wonky handling. I take it you've never ridden a T140V?
>
> You're comparing a 400 with a 750, ffs - of course it felt gutless *in
> comparison*.
>
> I suspect you're some kind of shite old Brit bike anorak and would
> refuse to believe that the Japs could build something better....
>
That's just a little unkind.
Most SOBBs handle ok which is more than can be said for the far eastern
offerings.

Oily
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Mike Fleming wrote in message

> In article , Ace
> writes:
>
> > On Sun, 19 Aug 2007 02:19:25 +0100, Mike Fleming
> > wrote:
> >
> > >Have you ever actually ridden a 400-4? While it's not an experience
> > >I'd recommend due to the gutless engine and wonky handling,
> >
> > You must have troed a lemon. Power is not exactly stunning compared
> > with modern stuff but a decent example never feels gutless. And the
> > handling? Wonky? Naah mate, you're just so far wide of the mark on
> > this it's untrue.
>
> I was riding a T140V at the time, and rode my girlfriend's 400-4,
> which was a couple of years old. Like I say, the 400-4 had a gutless
> engine and wonky handling. I take it you've never ridden a T140V?
>

That really is an unrealistic and stupid comparison isn't it.
How would you rate your T140 against a GS1000 of that era?



-
 >> Stay informed about: Interesting 400 Four 

On Sun, 19 Aug 2007 22:07:19 +0100, Mike Fleming
wrote:

>In article , Ace
> writes:
>
>> On Sun, 19 Aug 2007 02:19:25 +0100, Mike Fleming
>> wrote:
>>
>> >Have you ever actually ridden a 400-4? While it's not an experience
>> >I'd recommend due to the gutless engine and wonky handling,
>>
>> You must have tried a lemon. Power is not exactly stunning compared
>> with modern stuff but a decent example never feels gutless. And the
>> handling? Wonky? Naah mate, you're just so far wide of the mark on
>> this it's untrue.
>
>I was riding a T140V at the time, and rode my girlfriend's 400-4,
>which was a couple of years old. Like I say, the 400-4 had a gutless
>engine and wonky handling. I take it you've never ridden a T140V?

You can take whatever you like - I've ridden a few Bonnies, yes,
although I was never enough of a saddo to know what model number they
were.

Comparing a 400 with a 750 is a little disengenious though, but in
fact the performance figures are not that much lower. As for handling,
you're just plain wrong, I'm afraid. The NVT bikes of the day were OK,
but nothing to write home about; the 400/4 was, at the time and still
to this date, well-known for a sure-footed cornering which it was
almost impossible to push out of shape. Whatever you mean by "wonky"
it's a fact that in 1975 there were very few better-handling bikes on
the market.

--
_______
..'_/_|_\_'. Ace (brucedotrogers a.t rochedotcom)
\`\ | /`/ DS#8 BOTAFOT#3 SbS#2 UKRMMA#13 DFV#8 SKA#2 IBB#10
`\\ | //'
`\|/`
`
 >> Stay informed about: Interesting 400 Four 

steve auvache wrote:

> If the Starfighter was the one that littered the German countryside
> while keeping the world free from communist tyranny that is the one I
> refer to.


"Catch a falling Starfighter". Also known as the Lockheed Lawn Dart.
Yes, that's the one.
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Pip Luscher wrote:

> Well, quite a bit heavier than a V50 (though the V50 weight is dry, I
> think) but aerodynamic drag not rolling friction is the major drag at
> that sort of speed.
>
> Actually, anyone know just how much rolling friction a typical bike
> generates at various speeds? I've probably got it somewhere but CBA to
> look it up.


Makes sense, though the weight must have some effect otherwise racers/
maunfacturers wouldn't go to such lenghts to save weight?
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On 20 Aug, 10:05, Steve Borland wrote:

>
> SA in the late 70's & early 80's had a thriving Superbike race series,
> which really drove bike sales. Oddly enough, Honda's CBX never did
> really well. It really battled against Yamaha's XS1100 - shaft drive and
> all.
>

Christ. Imagine a grid full of the things, wobbling in formation.

Years ago, like early 1980s, they used to run a prodddy race series at
the Bol d'Or, called the Bol d'Argent. Effectively a stock proddy race
series, a bit like the Avon/Bike championship of the late 1970s. It
was truly, truly scary to watch.
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Mike Fleming wrote:

> Like I say, the 400-4 had a gutless
> engine and wonky handling. I take it you've never ridden a T140V?

I'd not use th word 'gutless' when referring to a 400F engine. 'Peaky'
I'd agree with. As for handling, Triumph was top of the 750 pile back
then, but a 400F is still pretty good.


--
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crn.RemoveThis@NOSPAM.netunix.com wrote:
> SteveH wrote:
>> wrote:
>>
>> Look, you've been wrong in just about every post you've made in
>> this thread.
>
> Maybe, but there is no need for insults.
>> Wrong about the 400/4 being a 'commutor bike', wrong about there
>> being a Kawasaki 1100 Turbo and wrong about the big Honda 6-potter
>> being a 1300.
>
> The 400/4 is a matter of personal perception, as others have pointed
> out it was not particularly fast or powerful, and I saw rather more
> than a few doing courier duties in the 80s.
>
>
Bit odd, the bit about you not having seen any 400 Fours in SA. I lived
there until the early 80's, and certainly in Durban, the 400F was very
popular (in contrast to the 350F which was a really ugly little bugger).

The 400F did rather well on the track as well - one of my mates at uni
started racing on one, then graduated to a CBX (which was certainly not
1300 as standard, though I seem to recall someone in Jo'burg doing a
1200-odd hop-up kit *).

I rather suspect that the bikes you recall were products of the local
hop-up fraternity, there being a considerable market for large,
expansive, uselessly fast (in a straight line) toys to boast about.

SA in the late 70's & early 80's had a thriving Superbike race series,
which really drove bike sales. Oddly enough, Honda's CBX never did
really well. It really battled against Yamaha's XS1100 - shaft drive and
all.

/Steve, currently in DK

*Probably also put a turbo on as well, shortly followed by a NOX set
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