Which would you buy, and why?
Discussion
The why being the important part!
1994 CBR400RR vs 1990 TZR250 3MA
Current bikes are M1100evo for road and a 954blade track bike. I’ve been looking for a smaller capacity modern classic as a project.
I have ridden my mates baby blade a few times and I like it a lot. He tracked me down a Singaporean import which is cosmetically challenged but runs very sweet and can be mine for the equivalent of £1k. The refresh would be the same as I’ve just completed on its bigger younger sister and my friend has 2 of them so can help when needed. I like the fact it is so light and flickable, I sit in it rather than on it, and seem to be able to lean over very far without even moving position on my seat.
The yam appeals as I have a thing for oddball engineering. The reverse cylinders do it for me and I love the look of the bike. I’ve been after one as a different mate had been chasing an estate sale of 3 bikes and didn’t want the 3ma (he already has one). He’s done the deal and says the 3ma is mine for £5k.
So I’ve never ridden a 2T and never ridden a 3ma. This one is mint and completely original. Runs a bit rough but he’s going through the fueling and will sort it, and says I can test ride it before making my mind up.
Additional background is that I only started riding 3 yrs ago and haven’t ridden very many bikes, hence have let some absolute corkers pass due to me thinking they would be suit me - a rvf400 for £2k and an rc51 for £3k being the ones that hurt.
I Deffo want a small capacity bike from the era where they had the same engineering attention as the larger engines machines. The cbr isn’t an rvf which is a mark against it, but with that deal well off the table, with the yam 5x the asking price of the baby blade. Is it 5x the bike?
Older biker mates say 2T all the way, the younger ones reckon this is pure nostalgia and the 400 is the better buy.
So, back to the top. Which would you choose and why. Would your answer be different if price was taken out of the equation?
1994 CBR400RR vs 1990 TZR250 3MA
Current bikes are M1100evo for road and a 954blade track bike. I’ve been looking for a smaller capacity modern classic as a project.
I have ridden my mates baby blade a few times and I like it a lot. He tracked me down a Singaporean import which is cosmetically challenged but runs very sweet and can be mine for the equivalent of £1k. The refresh would be the same as I’ve just completed on its bigger younger sister and my friend has 2 of them so can help when needed. I like the fact it is so light and flickable, I sit in it rather than on it, and seem to be able to lean over very far without even moving position on my seat.
The yam appeals as I have a thing for oddball engineering. The reverse cylinders do it for me and I love the look of the bike. I’ve been after one as a different mate had been chasing an estate sale of 3 bikes and didn’t want the 3ma (he already has one). He’s done the deal and says the 3ma is mine for £5k.
So I’ve never ridden a 2T and never ridden a 3ma. This one is mint and completely original. Runs a bit rough but he’s going through the fueling and will sort it, and says I can test ride it before making my mind up.
Additional background is that I only started riding 3 yrs ago and haven’t ridden very many bikes, hence have let some absolute corkers pass due to me thinking they would be suit me - a rvf400 for £2k and an rc51 for £3k being the ones that hurt.
I Deffo want a small capacity bike from the era where they had the same engineering attention as the larger engines machines. The cbr isn’t an rvf which is a mark against it, but with that deal well off the table, with the yam 5x the asking price of the baby blade. Is it 5x the bike?
Older biker mates say 2T all the way, the younger ones reckon this is pure nostalgia and the 400 is the better buy.
So, back to the top. Which would you choose and why. Would your answer be different if price was taken out of the equation?
The 3MA was known as the “reverse seizure” with good reason….
That said , if its running well now, its obviously fully sorted…they are hard to derestrict from their 45BHP and obtain parts for but they are great looking bits of kit….as is the CBR400 but the stroker will be more exciting to ride out of the 2 and hold(or increase) its value better.
That said , if its running well now, its obviously fully sorted…they are hard to derestrict from their 45BHP and obtain parts for but they are great looking bits of kit….as is the CBR400 but the stroker will be more exciting to ride out of the 2 and hold(or increase) its value better.
I have an RGV250 and it does everything you'd want out of such a bike, you can thrash it around and not really hit stupid speeds, enjoy the powerbandy nature of the old 2 stroke along with the smell and small crowds at biker meets. I have to admit, less people seem to know what it is than I expected, even biker people.
The only real issue I've found with it is, as its my only road legal bike (I have a ZX6RR track bike and a TE250TPI enduro bike) it can be rather grating to ride when you're not really feeling it, coming back on normal roads, or if you're tired etc. The lack of torque means it can be hard work when just bimbling around and going in fairly minor hills on A roads, when you're not really feeling it.
Hopefully as you have another road bike this would be less of an issue for you.
I've ALWAYS wanted an old 2t and I really happy I've got it, but there are a few occasions I fancy going further than I can realistically take it and with a relative easy it can only dream of.
Never ridden a 400 so can't really help in that department, sorry
The only real issue I've found with it is, as its my only road legal bike (I have a ZX6RR track bike and a TE250TPI enduro bike) it can be rather grating to ride when you're not really feeling it, coming back on normal roads, or if you're tired etc. The lack of torque means it can be hard work when just bimbling around and going in fairly minor hills on A roads, when you're not really feeling it.
Hopefully as you have another road bike this would be less of an issue for you.
I've ALWAYS wanted an old 2t and I really happy I've got it, but there are a few occasions I fancy going further than I can realistically take it and with a relative easy it can only dream of.
Never ridden a 400 so can't really help in that department, sorry
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