In 1983, Freddie Spencer became the world’s youngest 500cc World Champion, and he did it on a Honda V3. Honda responded by releasing a 250cc production bike to commemorate the win, but it took them until 1985 to build something closer to the actual size of Freddie’s champion. That was the NS400R, and even though it gave up 100cc and plenty of power to the race bike, Honda called it a “race replica”.
The two-stroke V-3 displaced 387cc and it was good for 72 horsepower and 37 pound feet of torque, both at nearly 10,000 rpm. Oh – and the whole thing weighed less than 360 pounds. For more information on the NS400R, check out this article from Classic-Motorbikes.net. Depending on who you talked to, the NS400R wasn’t as fast or aggressive as the 500cc race reps from Yamaha and Suzuki – but the tradeoff was that this was a confident handling bike. A review rehosted on Motorcycle Specs says “the NS is exciting and pretty near faultless.”
This example is VIN: NC192002649.
The odometer shows 30,162 miles.
The seller acquired it on Iconic Motorbike Auctions in June of 2021 – the previous owner imported it from England and had it since 2011. The seller gave the bike to his father as a restoration project. “He’s retired and has a passion for working on bikes. Not much for riding anymore for physical reasons. He took pride in bringing back an old bike to what it is now. Unfortunately things financially have changed and the bike needs to be sold to help with other things.”
The following work was performed:
– New piston rings
– New brake pads and rotors
– Rebuilt calipers and master cylinders
– New fork tubes
– Hardware replated
– New chain and sprockets
– Freshly cleaned carbs
– New brake and clutch levers
– New windscreen
The bike has been ridden less than 5 miles since the restoration.
Modifications:
Aftermarket reproduction solo cowl. A 2-up cowl is included.
New aftermarket mirrors.
Cosmetic Blemishes:
The seller notes “some flaws in the decals which appear as small wrinkles.”
It is riding on MAKE/MODEL tires with date codes of 2305 and 0206.
The sale includes two aftermarket keys.
Currently located in Thief River Falls, Minnesota, this Honda is offered on a clean Minnesota title. Have any NS400R stories or questions about this listing? Let us know in the “Comments” tab!
Continental US: Haul Bikes will ship anything sold through Iconic for a starting rate of $750 in the Continental US (prices may increase in rural markets), and Iconic will handle the paperwork on your behalf. You do not need to crate your bike or drain the gas/disconnect the battery if you go with Haul Bikes. We are glad to work with the shipper of your choice as well, but you will have to arrange it.
Please note:
spares/extras will have to be shipped separately via FedEx or similar.
the fee includes $15,000 of insurance with a $500 deductible. Additional insurance can be purchased at a cost of $50 per additional $5,000 of value.
$5,000 for US to Europe/Asia is a VERY ROUGH ballpark which includes transport as well as customs fees and duties. Please contact Shippio for an exact quote.