Rumour has it that Honda could be working on a new bike, namely CBR400RR according to Young Machine. After we saw some motorcycle design renderings of two possible new bikes, CB1000X and CBR1000R, now more details are revolving around a 400cc sportbike. The model could be a direct rival for the Kawasaki Ninja 400.
At the moment the motorcycle in the photo is just a design rendering of a possible Honda CBR400RR model. It may not be just a rumour as we know that the company will unveil the 2021 Honda CBR600RR on August 21st. Furthermore, we can expect a new sports-tourer developed from the CB4X Concept showcased last year at EICMA as some patents show that a production model could be in development. Moving forward, the Japanese brand launched this year the 2020 Honda CBR400R as a Japan-only motorcycle. It features a 399cc twin-cylinder engine making 46 HP at 9,000 rpm and 38 Nm of torque at 7,500 rpm. But let us look at what we can expect from the Honda CBR400RR.
Taking all these facts into consideration, a Honda CBR400RR could be in development as the company looks serious about releasing new bikes in the near future. Honda has a 400cc inline-four engine which needs a couple of tweaks to make it Euro5 compliant. Moreover, the Asian motorcycle market features a strong expansion and the interest in small-displacement bikes can be a good opportunity for Honda to increase its motorcycle sales. On top of that, the competition has small sportbike models such as Yamaha R3, KTM RC 390, Kawasaki Ninja 400 or even the upcoming Kawasaki Ninja ZX-25R. So, a rival for the Kawasaki Ninja 400 could make sense for Honda.
Honda has kept its CB 400 Super Four in production, and last March made a limited series of this model for the Asian motorcycle market. It looks similar to the CB-F Concept and it’s fitted with a 399cc inline-four Hyper V-TEC engine with a liquid-cooled twin-shaft. Power delivery is set at 56 hp at 11,000 rpm. So, there’s a possibility that the Honda CBR400RR, if it will become a production motorcycle, to feature a version of this particular engine with a couple of updates.
The chassis could be borrowed from the current CBR650R produced in Thailand. Also, the bodywork could feature a similar design to the upcoming 2021 Honda CBR600RR with the possibility of adopting similar aerodynamic wings on the sides of the windshield.
It’s an interesting motorcycle design rendering and we are eager to see if Honda is considering making a production motorcycle, namely the Honda CBR400RR to rival with the Kawasaki Ninja 400.
All motorcycle companies need to consider the fact that not all riders are small asians… there are riders from other countries that are 6 feet plus tall and there comfortably needs to be taken into account also. I hope that this will happen in the very near future otherwise these companies are losing a big part of the market!!! Hopefully Honda will take the lead and produce something with a seat height of at least 820mm with adjustable peg positions to suit each rider in the 400cc plus range??
Well I happen to be a short guy so I will be quite happy if the seat height is low on this bike. If you’re not happy then why don’t you just stick to a bigger motorcycle like a 600cc!
I am a short guy too and I think there are very few bikes with a low seat height. I would say that ninety percent of the bikes on the market today cater for the taller rider. Let hope it has a low seat height.
I’m also a short guy who owns a 1987 hondacbr400rr aero I have owned for 30 years and it’s never missed a beet would absolutely love to buy a new one it looks amazing please hurry and build it
IF HONDA RELAUNCHED A 400CC V4 WITH A SINGLE SIDED SWINGARM I WOULD FORGET SUPERBIKES & ROB A BANK TO BUY ONE. IT WOULD BLOW THE OPPOSITION AWAY!
yup. agree. i would probably sell myself to get that money instead
just build it
Today’s bikes can come a little tall for a guy of IE 5ft 5” etc but can,t they each be reduced in hight with not to much trouble to. Surely a bike shop can sort when buying.