Here's a selection of vintage '80s and '90s 400cc sportsbikes you'll be lusting after all week...

Today’s small-capacity sportsbikes are capable, affordable, reliable and lots of other things ending in ‘able’. But as impressive as they are, they simply don’t grab you inside like 400s of the late ’80s and ’90s.

• Related: Sportsbike riding gear buying guide

Built using the same materials and engineering as full-size superbikes, these gorgeous race reps pack levels of engagement, performance and quality you just can’t find today. Time to fall in lust again…

Read on for our expert guide to top 400cc legends from the ’80s and ’90s!

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MCN Recommended: 1988 – 1994 Honda VFR400R NC30 – £3000 – £7500

MCN’s Best Buy

Spec:

• Power: 55bhp
• Engine capacity: 399cc
• Seat height: 705mm
• Kerb weight: 175kg

Few bikes cover ground like a good Honda VFR400R, otherwise known as the NC30. It’s not fast in the traditional rip-your-arms-off sense; instead, the Honda generates pace through astounding balance. Steering isn’t fast or slow, but just-so. The chassis mixes bump absorption and stability with poise and accuracy, and the perfectly engineered V4 has willing, flexible, reliable drive. The NC is also tiny, so folks over 5ft 6in look enormous. But the way it rewards anyone from newbie to hardened ex-racer means you just won’t care.

Honda VFR400R NC30 used buying advice

• Spend all your cash on the best you can find. A worn, baggy, tarted up NC is just a disappointment.
• Engines are dependable with routine servicing. Midrange flatspots mean badly-set carbs. Check for clogged/rotten radiators.
• Reg/recs pack up and generators fail, taking out the battery.
• Check the rear hub and expect to see knackered adjusters from using a hammer and screwdriver.
• Calipers seize, especially if it’s been sat, and discs warp – but make sure it’s not actually a wonky wheel.
• Look for burnt-out switchgear.

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1995 – 1998 Kawasaki ZXR400 – £1500 – £4000

Not fastest or cleverest, but the ZXR is the go-to go-fast 400

Spec:

• Power: 62bhp
• Engine capacity: 398cc
• Seat height: 827mm
• Kerb weight: 160kg

The early H1 from ’89 is the prettiest ZXR, but later model Kawasaki ZXR400s (L1 onwards) are better. It’ll scream at 14,500rpm day in, day out, nudge 140mph in perfect conditions, and has a stiff chassis that’s happy over on its ear. No wonder it’s been the club racers’ fave for so long. Early blue bikes are desirable, but it was officially imported into the 2000s so buy the newest, bestest one you can find.

Kawasaki ZXR400 used buying advice

• Long service life and dependability mean it’s popular with racers and trackday fans, so make sure it’s not a thrashed hound under mint plastics.
• Look for cracked paint near the headstock. The forks are very stiff and pass load to the frame in a crash. The shock was very stiff when new; if it feels soft it’s because it’s worn.
• Corrosion is an issue: radiators rust and cause overheating, exhausts waste away, and the chassis can look scrappy. Take a look behind the fairing and try not to wince.

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1990 – 1996 Suzuki GSX-R400 – £2000 – £4500

Scaled-down GSX-R is arguably more desirable than the 750

Spec:

• Power: 59bhp
• Engine capacity: 398cc
• Seat height: 780mm
• Kerb weight: 167kg

The first GSX-R wasn’t the 750 in ’85. No, it was a half-faired 400 launched in March 1984, simply called ‘GSX-R’. The 400 tag was added the next year, and after diverting on beam-framed versions, Suzuki turned it into a proper mini-750 with the L version of the GSX-R400 in 1990. Small, sharp, sexy. Go for a ’91 or ’92 bike: they have the shock from the 1990 SP model, and 6bhp more than versions from 1993 onwards.

Suzuki GSX-R400 used buying advice

• The GSX-R wasn’t as popular as its rivals and fewer were imported. This means parts can be harder to come by and more expensive, too.
• Carbs are notoriously bothersome. They have loads of O-rings inside that cause issues and also suffer rapid bore wear. Expect to have to clean and set them up, or even replace.
• The engine’s reliable, but highly strung. Valve checks should be frequent but are a pain to do – make sure they’ve not been ignored.
• Watch for base models in SP dress.

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1986 – 1994 Honda CBR400RR – £1500 – £4000

Classy, dependable, proven, the Baby Blade is a super-safe buy

Spec:

• Power: 59bhp
• Engine capacity: 399cc
• Seat height: 750mm
• Kerb weight: 162kg

Honda’s CBR was their first bike with a variable valve system, called REV and seen in 1983. There were ‘jelly mould’ 400s too, which turned into the NC23 Tri-Arm in ’87, but it’s the ’90-on NC29 Gull Arm that is a) more common, and b) the best CBR. The gear-driven cam inline four is robust, quality and finish are brilliant, and the handling is the most steadfast of any 400. ’94-on had FireBlade decals too.

Honda CBR400RR used buying advice

• There were loads of CBR400s imported during the late 80s and through the 90s. Do your model research, then buy the most original bike you can dig up. Better to pay a bit extra for a mint bike with full history than a cheap ‘n’ tacky one.
• Suspension was set for diminutive home-market riders, and chubby Eurpeans squash the suspension – make sure there’s some damping left.
• Engines are reliable, despite their fondness for revs. Just keep the servicing up to date.

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1988 – 1994 Yamaha FZR400RR – £1500 – £5000

If you’re going for a head-down sports hooligan, do it properly…

Spec:

• Power: 45bhp
• Engine capacity: 659cc
• Seat height: 865mm
• Kerb weight: 184kg

The first FZR400 arrived in ’86, designed as ‘a road-going racer’ that would form the basis for Yam’s TT F3 race bike and there have been many versions. But while 80s models are cool it’s the FZR400RR of the ’90s that’s the choice for corner-loving headcase. Sharp, engaging, thrashable, it’s a high-class B-road joy – and it’s better still if you can find the high-spec SP version that ruled at the TT.

Yamaha FZR400RR used buying advice

• The engine’s reliable, but needs regular valve checks. Check for clutch slip when cold or under load, and make sure all the gears are there.
• EXUP models get corrosion on the valve, which stops it working. Listen for unwanted rattles in the exhaust.
• Japanese bikes were restricted to 180kph. Check any aftermarket plugin derestrictor isn’t a wiring mess.
• Proper SP? It should have bare alloy calipers, adjustable damping, close-ratio gears, and flatslide carbs if is a Japanese model.