Yamaha Sr 400? Honda Clubman 400?

[Meridian007]

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)...

Very true, and if you follow this you should be okay. I didn't have the seller go with me to Mochit, he gave me copies of his ID card and Tabien Baan, and I was lucky that it worked okay.

***Also***

Once you've checked the numbers in the book against the bike (both frame and engine, and be careful of flat areas on the metal, it might have been ground down and re-stamped), make a copy of the green book before going to the registration office. This way, even if they give you a new book (which they did with me) you still have evidence of the old one and you can avoid the page 18 problem if it comes to BKK.

If you're looking on Mocy.com, you can search for ads that list the bike as having the Tabien Tae (real green book), this may save you some time in finding something that has a greater chance of being legal.

[Dave the Dude]

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

Monsterbikes in Buriram have one of each for sale and I have been to see them too.

GB400 is on Mocyc.com frm 46k. these bikes are a bit cheaper than SR's as IMO they look good but NOT AS good as an SR, so the following is a bit smaller. Its a nice very clean example in British Racing Green (dark) and looks a good buy. Thankfully it looks pretty standard without the crappy add-ons sometimes seen over here.

SR400 is also in good condition and a pre-front disc brake version( I like the old style twin-leading shoe drum, looks cool polished). It to looks sweet except for the one big and many small dents in the tank. I know this can be sorted easily but the price does not reflect it. 63k is at least 10k overpriced, I think. Also no add-ons except for a Supertrapp exhaust.

Dave

[lennya12threh]

If you're looking on Mocy.com, you can search for ads that list the bike as having the Tabien Tae (real green book), this may save you some time in finding something that has a greater chance of being legal.

Where is this search option? Not on the main classifieds search section is it?

[gobs]

Hi Lenny

Cruising on the highway at what speed?

Here is an "average use" of the dito bikes... Maybe can help you to get a "clearer" approch to the bikes...

Let's say: engine safety cruising speed on a long ride on highway (estimates, not trully registered, hey!):

SR400 ? 110/120 km/h (top speed ? 140 km/h)

Clubman ? 120/130 km/h (top speed ? 150 km/h)

XJ400 or CB400 ? 140/160 km/h (top speed ? 180+ km/h)

The two first bikes are more adapted for secondary roads (or city and around), with turns, climbs, downhills and slowdowns. They "need" revs changes...

The third ones can do all...

Keep in mind:

- singles don't like high revs on a long time; a lot of torque on low revs...

- fours in line are not bothered by the high revs (they like); no torque on low revs...

- twins... half and half of both above...

These dito bikes are unbreakable if well cared and driven. Beware the "back yard self-fixing".

Your budget seems OK (see Dave's post and mocyc adds...).

Have a check too on thaisecondhand... A lot of adds too...

Thanks to correct, advise or add...

Cheers

Gobs

[Dave the Dude]

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.

Good luck with your search lenna12threh.

I have been looking for a very long time,too.

Many SR400's advertised seem to be from some import yard in BKK and have cr@ppy cardboard posters on them saying a reference number (E43 for example).

Does anyone who is BKK based know where this place is?

I would like to travel down sometime and have more than one bike to view, without driving round loads of individual private residences.

Thanks in advance of your replies(hopefully)

Dave

[Meridian007]

If you're looking on Mocy.com, you can search for ads that list the bike as having the Tabien Tae (real green book), this may save you some time in finding something that has a greater chance of being legal.

Where is this search option? Not on the main classifieds search section is it?

I assume you are going to http://www.mocyc.com/store/alltopic.php?CAT=3

the search is just above the bike listings, on the right. Tabien Tae is ทะเบียนแท้ in Thai script.

[dynabob]

Completely useless info.

In late 70's & early 80's the SR was the road version of yamaha's classic XT500 trial bike.You can't beat good breeding.

[joyjoyjoy]

so now that I have my second hand yamaha SR400, legal or not what can I do to make it as legal as possible. It has no plates, no book, no nothing. All info muchly appreciated

[Fishenough]

so now that I have my second hand yamaha SR400, legal or not what can I do to make it as legal as possible. It has no plates, no book, no nothing. All info muchly appreciated

I may have a good contact that can 'recycle' books, for common models, for about 25,000 if it has invoice. That's much cheaper than other quotes but if it works, hey. Do you have the original invoice?

Cheers,

Kev

[Dave the Dude]

so now that I have my second hand yamaha SR400, legal or not what can I do to make it as legal as possible. It has no plates, no book, no nothing. All info muchly appreciated

I may have a good contact that can 'recycle' books, for common models, for about 25,000 if it has invoice. That's much cheaper than other quotes but if it works, hey. Do you have the original invoice?

Cheers,

Kev

Good luck with that. I have heard the loopholes are getting tied up now and the days of recycled books has long gone, but I accept that this is only from discussions and NOT first hand experience. After a few years looking(SR400) , I decided to get another type of bike which was fully legal (Steed400) and more readily available

Good Luck

Edited April 8, 2010 by Dave the Dude

[BigBikeBKK]

so now that I have my second hand yamaha SR400, legal or not what can I do to make it as legal as possible. It has no plates, no book, no nothing. All info muchly appreciated

I may have a good contact that can 'recycle' books, for common models, for about 25,000 if it has invoice. That's much cheaper than other quotes but if it works, hey. Do you have the original invoice?

Cheers,

Kev

Good luck with that. I have heard the loopholes are getting tied up now and the days of recycled books has long gone, but I accept that this is only from discussions and NOT first hand experience. After a few years looking(SR400) , I decided to get another type of bike which was fully legal (Steed400) and more readily available

Good Luck

Would be helpful to know where the bike is located because the rules vary a lot from province to province.

Recycled books are definitely being phased out in places like Bangkok and Phuket but seems there are still some provinces where they can be arranged without too much difficulty.

The other option, again, depending on where you live, is to 'rent' a red plate from your local Brown Mafia which will offer you semi-decent protection locally but may be rather useless if you wander to another province or get caught up in one of those random Customs Police checkpoints.

It's a shame that Thailand does not have some system to allow classic bikes to obtain some sort of special registration. Despite this fact you still see tons of unplated classic bikes and customs at bike shows around the country. Then again, many (most?) of the Thai owners are police or well connected.

We encountered a big group of Thai bikers in Khao Yai a few weeks back, all on stunning liter bikes and not a plate on any of them. Of course after talking to them a bit we learned they were all police! TiT baby!