Beyond the Performance of the 400s And Into the Price of the 750s

Beyond the performance of the 400s and into the price of the 750s

ROUNDUP

LETTER FROM Japan

Yamaha has gone and done it. The 400cc sportbikes have long been the hotbed of competition on Japanese streets, racetracks and showroom floors, and now Yamaha has gone beyond just the “standard" 400, and released an extremely hightech competitive street racer that could indeed be the world's fastest 400cc production motorcycle, with a claimed top speed of 143 mph.

Of course, this bike ought not to be confused with the existing FZR400, currently for sale here in Japan. The new racer-replica is merely a competitive extension of that already outstanding liquid-cooled, inline-Four with its aluminum Deltabox frame. This new bike, however, comes equipped with special pistons, connecting rods and GP styling. The machine also has a special exhaustvalve system located in a 4-into-l collector under the engine. The valve opens as the rpm increase so that the exhaust pulses are smoothed out for better performance.

If this isn't enough, Yamaha has a two-stage performance kit that includes special carburetor parts, racing cams and a selection of gearing. The kit also includes adjustable electronic ignition.

Yamaha has also pushed the new FZR400R F-3 class streetbike into a higher price bracket than any 400 deserves to go. This 400 is more expensive than many of the 750cc motorcycles, with a base price of around $6000 for the standard competition model and over $7500 for the fully kitted version.

It may seem like this machine is overkill in every decadent sense of the word; but the truth is that the Yamaha is street-legal, comfortable, responsive, good-looking and greatsounding. It will also shatter current class standards of performance. And price.

Kengo Yagawa