Yamaha Sr 400? Honda Clubman 400?

[lennya12threh]

First off, is it legal to have a 400cc bike in Thailand? How does it work? Obviously it works...

I have a CBR 150 Repsol, and have been looking at some bigger "road bikes."

I have noticed particularly the Yamaha SR 400 or XJ 400 and the Honda Clubman 400 or CL, because they are not so bulky and big, but still maintain the 400 cc engine. They look still light and slim enough to do well in the Bangkok traffic. They look much slimmer and lighter than say the CBR-400, or many other bulkier 400cc models, and besides I'd like a style change. I noticed they still only have 5 gears. I wish my CBR had 6, because you are even hitting higher revs at 110 KM/h. I have taken highway trips on it, and it just feel uncomfortable, like I am constantly gunning it just to keep up with or go slightly faster than traffic at 120/130km/h. How would one of these cruise, accelerate, and handle compared to my CBR 150? How much heavier?

Any other comments? I'm not motorbike pro.

Thanks.

[lennya12threh]

I found the weight. Sr 400 - about 130kg. CBR 150 - about 115 kgs. Fairly close.

Now it says the CBRs overall width is 25.7 inches. I'd like to know the SR 400's.

[lennya12threh]

Wow, but another site just said the SR-400 weighs 150 kg... Hm...

Ill go with 115 kg for the CBR and 150 for the SR 400... It then says the Honda CB 400 and Yamaha XJ 400 both weigh about 175kgs, but have almost double the horsepower of the SR 400.. Same displacement though...

And the SR, XJ, CB are only 3-4 inches wider than the CBR... Could still make it through traffic.

Edited April 7, 2009 by lennya12threh

[LivinLOS]

Look at the bandit 400 / GSF.. Upright position not with your weight on your arms.. more HP (60 in some).. Great engine and chassis dynamics.

[Dave the Dude]

Hi firstly a Honda Clubman is a GB400 and that and a SR400 are both good classic bikes I am checking out to buy.

YOUR problem is 98.9% are unregistered and have been imported illegally. 1% have 'counterfiet books' that are even more seriously illegal. That is a big problem for those living in BKK/CM/Pattaya as the Police WILL and DO impound your 'pride and joy.' Its not a problem (yet) here in Isaan.

XJ/CB = modern biking

GB/SR = classic biking

I think you seem to be more interested in speed rather than the classic bike scene, so I wonder if you would be better suited to a modern(ish) registered 250 like say the Tiger 250RS or other Jap alternatives?

Dave

Edited April 8, 2009 by Dave the Dude

[mrt273nva]

YOUR problem is 98.9% are unregistered and have been imported illegally. 1% have 'counterfiet books' that are even more seriously illegal.

can you please tell me where you get your statistics, especially such a specific number as 98.9%? (considering that 78.4% of all statistics are made up on the spot)

[lennya12threh]

Hi firstly a Honda Clubman is a GB400 and that and a SR400 are both good classic bikes I am checking out to buy.

YOUR problem is 98.9% are unregistered and have been imported illegally. 1% have 'counterfiet books' that are even more seriously illegal. That is a big problem for those living in BKK/CM/Pattaya as the Police WILL and DO impound your 'pride and joy.' Its not a problem (yet) here in Isaan.

XJ/CB = modern biking

GB/SR = classic biking

I think you seem to be more interested in speed rather than the classic bike scene, so I wonder if you would be better suited to a modern(ish) registered 250 like say the Tiger 250RS or other Jap alternatives?

Dave

Well I saw an SR 400 the other day and dam_n I did like the style and presence of the bike. I was actually almost turned off by the XJ/CB in comparison to the GB/SR's look and style. So was is maximum displacement that is legal to register? I am in BKK so yes that is a problem. So if I want to do fairly legal and not have it in impounded, then I should say away from __________?

Jeeze, when I saw the SR the other day a nice looking Thai man hopped on and drove off with no worries. He didn't look like he was driving illegally or have the potential to have his rumbling baby taken by the police. I see bigger bikes all the time. 400cc isn't even very big.

[PeaceBlondie]

Honda CBR150R has six speeds. The Tiger Boxer 250 is neither classic nor modern style; more like naked late 1970's.

[BigBikeBKK]

Yamaha SR's are very popular here in Thailand, incredibly tough, good looking classic single cylinder thumpers. I'd love to get one, but as previously mentioned it's very very difficult to find one that is legally registered with plate and green book. Hardly ever see them in Bangkok, but there are tons of them out in the country.

I often ride with the Friend Highway Club based in Chonburi and most of them ride beautifully customized Yamaha SR's like these:

Nice, huh?

You'll notice that not a single one of them has a plate (or has one of those sketchy red plates)... They do occasionally go on pretty long road trips and never seem to get hassled by the BiB. I don't know how they do it- I think Thais are able to get away with riding unplated bikes better than most farang. But from the recent accounts of police crack downs on unregistered bikes in places like Pattaya, Hua Hin and Chiang Mai it seems most owners of unplated bikes are keeping their bikes well hidden for the time being.

You can find clean, unregistered Yamaha SR's for sale in the 40-60k Baht range. Most were imported as parts from Japan and very few have the paperwork required to have them legally registered.

You ask "what is maximum displacement that is legal to register?" There is no maximum. The problem with older bikes like Yamaha SR's is that most do not have the paperwork required to get them registered. Hope I'm making sense

Happy Trails!

Tony

[BigBikeBKK]

Honda CBR150R has six speeds. The Tiger Boxer 250 is neither classic nor modern style; more like naked late 1970's.

Like PeaceBlondie says, the Tiger Boxer 250 is an interesting mix of a very old (but strong) Cagiva derived engine and chassis with some modern components, like inverted front forks, disc brakes, and other modern bits.

Tiger 250's are quite cheap, 100% legal, and from recent owner reports on ThaiVisa it sounds like Tiger has much improved the quality of their newer bikes.

No idea what your budget is, but might be worth having a look. Check out this thread for 25 pages of good information on the Tiger 250: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/Tiger-Boxer-t175786.html

Happy Trails!

Tony

[imaneggspurt]

I found the weight. Sr 400 - about 130kg. CBR 150 - about 115 kgs. Fairly close.

Now it says the CBRs overall width is 25.7 inches. I'd like to know the SR 400's.

Width is what the handlebars are, Easily changed,

[imaneggspurt]

YOUR problem is 98.9% are unregistered and have been imported illegally. 1% have 'counterfiet books' that are even more seriously illegal.

can you please tell me where you get your statistics, especially such a specific number as 98.9%? (considering that 78.4% of all statistics are made up on the spot)

I have had 2 bikes with "grey" books for 10 years, been to cambodia/laos many times, never a problem,".seriously illegal ? ".and i have to say in all that time i have NEVER ( apart from at the borders where i went through no problem ) been asked to see the book,.

[BigBikeBKK]

YOUR problem is 98.9% are unregistered and have been imported illegally. 1% have 'counterfiet books' that are even more seriously illegal.

can you please tell me where you get your statistics, especially such a specific number as 98.9%? (considering that 78.4% of all statistics are made up on the spot)

I have had 2 bikes with "grey" books for 10 years, been to cambodia/laos many times, never a problem,".seriously illegal ? ".and i have to say in all that time i have NEVER ( apart from at the borders where i went through no problem ) been asked to see the book,.

Yup- in the old days grey market bikes were never a problem. That was then, this is now. Do you know how many bikes have been seized by the BiB in Chiang Mai, Pattaya, Hua Hin and Phuket recently? The times they are a changin'

[imaneggspurt]

YOUR problem is 98.9% are unregistered and have been imported illegally. 1% have 'counterfiet books' that are even more seriously illegal.

can you please tell me where you get your statistics, especially such a specific number as 98.9%? (considering that 78.4% of all statistics are made up on the spot)

I have had 2 bikes with "grey" books for 10 years, been to cambodia/laos many times, never a problem,".seriously illegal ? ".and i have to say in all that time i have NEVER ( apart from at the borders where i went through no problem ) been asked to see the book,.

Yup- in the old days grey market bikes were never a problem. That was then, this is now. Do you know how many bikes have been seized by the BiB in Chiang Mai, Pattaya, Hua Hin and Phuket recently? The times they are a changin'

Im a realist,if it happens it happens,they arent new by far, ( i ride mainly off road ) there is definatly a different attitude to off road/trail bikes, i was at an enduro 3 weeks ago, 200+ bikes, maybe 20 registered, loads of police, not one stopped. in fact i was riding with a cop with an xr600 with no plate, i am adamant its what you ride and where you ride that will cause problems,. ps actually no, i dont know one guy locally that has had a problem with a grey bike/book.certainly not one of my 200+ on/off road buddies, id hear for sure,.

[BigBikeBKK]

Im a realist,if it happens it happens,they arent new by far, ( i ride mainly off road ) there is definatly a different attitude to off road/trail bikes, i was at an enduro 3 weeks ago, 200+ bikes, maybe 20 registered, loads of police, not one stopped. in fact i was riding with a cop with an xr600 with no plate, i am adamant its what you ride and where you ride that will cause problems,. ps actually no, i dont know one guy locally that has had a problem with a grey bike/book.certainly not one of my 200+ on/off road buddies, id hear for sure,.

Yes- you are quite right- the crack downs have been focused mainly in big cities. The OP says he lives in Bangkok and I can asure you the riding an unplated in the Big Mango is NOT something you want to do.

The Pattaya and Phuket crackdowns were discussed at length on ThaiVisa. Here's some info on the Chiang Mai crackdown from the GT Rider site:

Bikes are chained up at the Highway Police HQs on the super highway by the Poy Luang Intersection.

I counted 66 bikes - big & small. Anything without a plate they are taking & say they will continue to do so.

Once they've "got them all"

1. They will check the serial numbers against a lit of stolen ones

2. The Customs will come & assess the duty.

3. Duty has to be paid "for the lot" - no individual deals / releases (hard to believe this will happen in practice.)

4. Then the bikes will be released to be registered. But I'm not sure if you can then start riding your bike on the road again, or it has to be registered in Bkk first, then you can ride it on the road once more.

They claim it has nothing to do with the Pattaya crack down (hard to believe they are just pure co-incidence).

The legality of seizing an "unregistered vehicle" on private property might be questionable, perhaps??

But speaking to the BIB it is going to be quite a few weeks before "the mess" is cleaned up & the bikes released.

AND they want them "all" - any unregistered bike, note the trials bikes in the pictures!

Someone's pride & joy

got locked up for the night

at least they care.

If you are caught up in this, please dont abuse the individual officers handling the bike seizures & release. They are only doing their job.

[imaneggspurt]

Im a realist,if it happens it happens,they arent new by far, ( i ride mainly off road ) there is definatly a different attitude to off road/trail bikes, i was at an enduro 3 weeks ago, 200+ bikes, maybe 20 registered, loads of police, not one stopped. in fact i was riding with a cop with an xr600 with no plate, i am adamant its what you ride and where you ride that will cause problems,. ps actually no, i dont know one guy locally that has had a problem with a grey bike/book.certainly not one of my 200+ on/off road buddies, id hear for sure,.

Yes- you are quite right- the crack downs have been focused mainly in big cities. The OP says he lives in Bangkok and I can asure you the riding an unplated in the Big Mango is NOT something you want to do.

The Pattaya and Phuket crackdowns were discussed at length on ThaiVisa. Here's some info on the Chiang Mai crackdown from the GT Rider site:

Bikes are chained up at the Highway Police HQs on the super highway by the Poy Luang Intersection.

I counted 66 bikes - big & small. Anything without a plate they are taking & say they will continue to do so.

Once they've "got them all"

1. They will check the serial numbers against a lit of stolen ones

2. The Customs will come & assess the duty.

3. Duty has to be paid "for the lot" - no individual deals / releases (hard to believe this will happen in practice.)

4. Then the bikes will be released to be registered. But I'm not sure if you can then start riding your bike on the road again, or it has to be registered in Bkk first, then you can ride it on the road once more.

They claim it has nothing to do with the Pattaya crack down (hard to believe they are just pure co-incidence).

The legality of seizing an "unregistered vehicle" on private property might be questionable, perhaps??

But speaking to the BIB it is going to be quite a few weeks before "the mess" is cleaned up & the bikes released.

AND they want them "all" - any unregistered bike, note the trials bikes in the pictures!

Someone's pride & joy

got locked up for the night

at least they care.

If you are caught up in this, please dont abuse the individual officers handling the bike seizures & release. They are only doing their job.

well mine are plated, that helps,but all enduros in thailand are run on public and private land,.and actually if someone is riding an expensive bike around pattaya/phuket with no plate they might as well have a t shirt on that says "please stop me on sight, this bike is stolen and/or hasnt had the taxes paid,. "

[lennya12threh]

I've seen 10 Sr 400s and GB 400s listed on mocyc.com. So if I call and they say they it is registered and has the books then it is ok? Or does this mean it is a counterfeit.

"the width is the handlebars. easily changed."

thanks whomever that was

But the Sr/GB 400s only have 5 gears. What is maximum cruising speed without going full throttle.

BTW I have a 5 year old Repsol that only has 5 gears, unlike the new CBRs. The Repsol can't cruise much higher than 100km/h in 5th gear without mingling in high revs.

[LivinLOS]

Im a realist,if it happens it happens,they arent new by far, ( i ride mainly off road ) there is definatly a different attitude to off road/trail bikes, i was at an enduro 3 weeks ago, 200+ bikes, maybe 20 registered, loads of police, not one stopped. in fact i was riding with a cop with an xr600 with no plate, i am adamant its what you ride and where you ride that will cause problems,. ps actually no, i dont know one guy locally that has had a problem with a grey bike/book.certainly not one of my 200+ on/off road buddies, id hear for sure,.

Yes- you are quite right- the crack downs have been focused mainly in big cities. The OP says he lives in Bangkok and I can asure you the riding an unplated in the Big Mango is NOT something you want to do.

The Pattaya and Phuket crackdowns were discussed at length on ThaiVisa. Here's some info on the Chiang Mai crackdown from the GT Rider site:

Bikes are chained up at the Highway Police HQs on the super highway by the Poy Luang Intersection.

I counted 66 bikes - big & small. Anything without a plate they are taking & say they will continue to do so.

Once they've "got them all"

1. They will check the serial numbers against a lit of stolen ones

2. The Customs will come & assess the duty.

3. Duty has to be paid "for the lot" - no individual deals / releases (hard to believe this will happen in practice.)

4. Then the bikes will be released to be registered. But I'm not sure if you can then start riding your bike on the road again, or it has to be registered in Bkk first, then you can ride it on the road once more.

They claim it has nothing to do with the Pattaya crack down (hard to believe they are just pure co-incidence).

The legality of seizing an "unregistered vehicle" on private property might be questionable, perhaps??

But speaking to the BIB it is going to be quite a few weeks before "the mess" is cleaned up & the bikes released.

AND they want them "all" - any unregistered bike, note the trials bikes in the pictures!

If you are caught up in this, please dont abuse the individual officers handling the bike seizures & release. They are only doing their job.

But unplated isnt grey book is it ??

The crazy thing is that from what I have seen.. booked bikes have been having major hassles down here.. But no difference between legit or grey books.. I have long maintained a 'properly done' grey book.. Is impossible to tell with certainty.. So see no reason or way that those bikes will be seized or confiscated.

[LivinLOS]

I've seen 10 Sr 400s and GB 400s listed on mocyc.com. So if I call and they say they it is registered and has the books then it is ok? Or does this mean it is a counterfeit.

You really need to read up on the kind of books, the type of scams and the differences between, booked, grey booked, forged book, and also about the page 18 customs and excise requirements (tho thats phuket only as far as I can tell)..

I have posted a far amount on this and a search will bring them up..

Short answer is no, just having a book, does not guarantee your safety. Welcome to the world of Thai second hand big bikes.

[thaicbr]

lennya then you have lost a gear because they had 6 gears from the very 1st production cbr150, Peaceblondie had a 2003 which was the 1st year and that had 6 gears. better go check your bike. its 1 down then 5 up,

and in 6th it should be doing about 9,000 - 9.500rpm at 130kmh.

There is a legal! Yamaha srx400 for 82,000baht on bahtsold._om

Allan

Edited April 8, 2009 by thaicbr

[Travelmate]

Books should be green. Not grey.

[Dave the Dude]

YOUR problem is 98.9% are unregistered and have been imported illegally. 1% have 'counterfiet books' that are even more seriously illegal.

can you please tell me where you get your statistics, especially such a specific number as 98.9%? (considering that 78.4% of all statistics are made up on the spot)

It was made up on the spot and its 74.8% of statistics(just joking about that)

I was trying to come across to the guy that registered SR/GB's are rare as rocking horse sh!t

Dave

Edited April 8, 2009 by Dave the Dude

[mrt273nva]

Books should be green. Not grey.

Very true. That is a good way to tell if you have an illegal book. Counterfeiters in this country often struggle to obtain a good inkjet printer and are therefore forced to use standard black&white Xerox machines from the print shop at about a baht a page. When the color green is copied it is printed at a dark gray color. Many of the police in Thailand suffer from color blindness from staring at bright colored bank notes all day and therefore illegal bikes have gone without notice for such a long time. i guess it is what it is. (my bike is legal as far as i know. they managed to copy it in green if anything)

[lennya12threh]

lennya then you have lost a gear because they had 6 gears from the very 1st production cbr150, Peaceblondie had a 2003 which was the 1st year and that had 6 gears. better go check your bike. its 1 down then 5 up,

and in 6th it should be doing about 9,000 - 9.500rpm at 130kmh.

There is a legal! Yamaha srx400 for 82,000baht on bahtsold._om

Allan

The Repsol edition too? Thats strange. The seller said it had 5 gears. Same with my Thai friend who seems have driven alot of everything and is a mechanic. Going up I only notice 5 gears. Yes, down, up, up, up, up. But going down I often question it because sometimes it doesn't change gears.

In the top gear it doesn't go much faster than 140km/h, but it gets there easy. Maybe 150km/h with a long straight away.

What is ideal cruising RPM on the highway for efficiency?

How does a 5 speed Sr or GB 400 do?

BTW: that SRX on bahtsold is fuc_king beautiful. I wish I had the money... Wow... Looks perfect. I feel it in my heart..

Edited April 8, 2009 by lennya12threh

[lennya12threh]

Awww, but then looking back on mocyc.com, those Clubmans look so nice. I love that look. That SRX has lots of "classicness." Besides, I'd be keeping my CBR 150, so I might as well have two varying styles.

[PeaceBlondie]

I had a 2003 CBR150R, identical to the Repsol except mine did not have the gaudy add-on stickers. Six speeds. Count them. Fifth went over 115, maybe 128. Sixth went to 143 (less about 10% speedometer error).

[lennya12threh]

Well that makes sense. Second last gear gets to about 130 easily. Last gear pushes it just past 140.

BTW: In my last post I meant to say that the SRX in the link had LOST, not lots, its "classicness."

[gobs]

Hi Lenny,

If you are not a troll (and I hope tou are not!), maybe that can help:

In principal: when you are going for a second hand bike, check and ride the bike for sure, but CHECK the ORIGINAL GREEN book (not a photocopy or whatever!). That's to say: frame and engine numbers and color (same ones on the bike as in its book)... Numbers can be re-stamped and sometimes very well (only X-Ray can show the "work")... If private sell check too the name in the book and the name of the supposed owner in front of you (avoid the "the owner is a friend" or "the bike is in my aunt's name" and the like)...

Then, if all correct, ask the seller to come with you to the Transportation Office to change the book in your name and tell him you will pay when you will get the book with your name in your own hands (you can offer the lunch or coffee or coke or whatever to be smart)... If the seller is not OK to spend 2 or 4 hours there, better to cancel the purchase: maybe he knows his bike is not legal and can't be transfered for whatever reason...

When all done OK, as a rule you know your bike is "legal"... As a rule, you ought not to have problems in the future... I don't enter here in the bike transfering process from a province to another. It can be an other "special" story to be told...

About your choice, maybe define first a budget and the use and needs you expect from this bike.

One SR400 is not one XJ400, one Clubman is not one CB400... They are all nice bikes as well but there specs are so different!..

Please friends correct me if something wrong or add something through your good advices...

Cheers,

Gobs

[lennya12threh]

Hi Lenny,

If you are not a troll (and I hope tou are not!), maybe that can help:

In principal: when you are going for a second hand bike, check and ride the bike for sure, but CHECK the ORIGINAL GREEN book (not a photocopy or whatever!). That's to say: frame and engine numbers and color (same ones on the bike as in its book)... Numbers can be re-stamped and sometimes very well (only X-Ray can show the "work")... If private sell check too the name in the book and the name of the supposed owner in front of you (avoid the "the owner is a friend" or "the bike is in my aunt's name" and the like)...

Then, if all correct, ask the seller to come with you to the Transportation Office to change the book in your name and tell him you will pay when you will get the book with your name in your own hands (you can offer the lunch or coffee or coke or whatever to be smart)... If the seller is not OK to spend 2 or 4 hours there, better to cancel the purchase: maybe he knows his bike is not legal and can't be transfered for whatever reason...

When all done OK, as a rule you know your bike is "legal"... As a rule, you ought not to have problems in the future... I don't enter here in the bike transfering process from a province to another. It can be an other "special" story to be told...

About your choice, maybe define first a budget and the use and needs you expect from this bike.

One SR400 is not one XJ400, one Clubman is not one CB400... They are all nice bikes as well but there specs are so different!..

Please friends correct me if something wrong or add something through your good advices...

Cheers,

Gobs

Thanks soo much Gobs. Very assuring reply.

Yes, with both bikes so far I've had the green book put in my name, with all paper work, insurance, etc, etc.

I like the style of the Clubman or SR. The XJ and CB don't seem classic at all. They just shared the same 400cc spec so I ended up looking at them too and comparing. I like the style of the classic bikes, and I'm just looking for something a bit bigger than the CBR 150 I have, (bigger in cc / power, not nessesarily size) and the SR/GBs seem to be about the same size and only 35kg more in weight, and has the 400cc engine. What I was thinking was a better highway bike, but still something small and maneuverable, and a change. I figured a 400cc bike could cruise on the highway easy The CBR 150 is fine, but I'm cruising at high RPMs the whole time so it isn't very much of a cruise. Ya know? I think the CBR 150 has 17 hp or something, and the SR/GB both around 26? But then the XJ/CB has somewhere in the low 50s? Comparable to the CBR, 26hp sounds good to me. I don't need triple the HP I have now on an XJ or anything. I had assumed an SR/GB 400 could cruise on the highway easy, but then found out it only has 5 gears. I have been looking around online but it is hard to find details about the bike in regards to top speed, cruising speed, etc, etc. How is it comparable to the CBR 150? It is obviously much lower than the XJ/CB.

I really don't want a big bike. Most 400s start to look a bit too big and bulky for my current desires, but I noticed the SR/GB did not. I've seen SRs in person too and it looked like a very nice size, but sounded wicked. Took off fast and smooth. A low rumble.

I see SR/GB 400s for 40k. My budget could be 40-60k. I see XJ/CBs for 60k every day on mocyc.com.

[PeaceBlondie]

The CBR150 seems designed to cruise at 8500 rpm, or about 125 kph indicated, in sixth. I still do it regularly; I commuted that way for two years. That is one reason I insist on having a tachometer and knowing where the redline is. The old thumpers had no counterbalancers on the crankshaft and vibrated badly. But my 1981 Suzuki GN400 had a counterbalancer.