Honda XR 400 R.

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Honda XR 400 R.

Oops, here I come

The time has come. After more than a decade, Honda is introducing a new four-stroke enduro for the nitty-gritty – with a trendy 400 cm³ displacement.

D.he mind’s eye saw the off-road fans collectively on their knees, bowing thanks in the direction of the Far East and being moved, uttering only one word: “Finally. “They had waited for this moment for almost a decade, believed over and over again rumors and experienced the same disappointment over and over again. But now it’s here – the XR 400 R, the new sport-oriented four-stroke enduro from Honda. The first rendezvous. Shocking moment. The old XR 600, just with less displacement? But the next glances reassure you: it is new. Thoroughly. Despite the deceptively traditional look. Where, then? All over. The frame: removable rear section, ultra-short wheelbase. The engine: 397 cubic centimeters, 35 hp, five centimeters shorter, ten centimeters narrower and seven kilograms lighter than the 600 stew. The chassis: aluminum swingarm, Showa shock absorber with expansion tank, 43 front fork with complex cartridge damping from Kayaba, braking systems straight from the equipment shelf of the Honda two-stroke crosser.

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Honda XR 400 R.

Honda XR 400 R.
Oops, here I come

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All together: slim, short and at 119 kilograms at least five kilograms lighter than most four-stroke Euro athletes and 22 pounds less than the somewhat plump older sister. Sounds good. And also drives like that? Off to the Moto Cross slope. Tough sand, nasty bumps and jumps with steep jump ramps. Not exactly the dream terrain for freedom-seeking enduro riders – but perfect to first explore the limits of the new. The big surprise on the route. The little XR can take it all away. No matter how fast the debutante is beaten by the waves or compressed into the jump ramps. Striking through – no result. And this despite the fact that the fork and shock absorber also respond cleanly and comfortably to the small edges. Impressive. Or in tight turns. Brake, bend, straighten up, Gaaas.

A 100 kilo crosser can’t do it much better. Why also? The tank and seat are hardly more expansive than those of the two-stroke relatives. The wide rear end, which is unspeakably known from the 600, is pleasingly slim. No Honda advertising copy, please. Okay. In spite of everything, 119 kilograms is not a sticky stick. When jumping and braking, you can clearly feel the mass and demand a determined hand. It’s more leisurely when you accelerate. 35 HP doesn’t turn the XR 400 into a dragster. KTMs, huskies and husabergs are quickly out of sight – on the cross piste. The XR shows other qualities over narrow, bumpy and stony enduro terrain. Its soft motor, which pushes cleanly from low speeds, converts every horsepower into traction. The nimble handling does the rest to make the competition work up a sweat. By the way: Even full throttle passages do not disturb the extremely short chassis of the little Honda – amazing.

To be too good to be true? Yes, because the trendy, small-volume four-stroke engine has to be bought at a high price. Almost 13,000 marks, over 3000 marks more than the XR 600, dampen joy and market opportunities. Especially since the judges about the new exhaust and noise limit values ​​of the finally approved version of the XR 400 will turn the collar hard. With a reducer in the intake duct, which forces the gas flow from the 36 mm carburettor through a meager 24 millimeters, and a restrictor in the silencer, the off-road off-road model is gagged down to 25 HP engine power and 79 decibels volume. But as the saying goes: Where there is no plaintiff, there is no judge. you already know.

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