The Importer
BAT Motorcycles in Kent were the first UK company to get involved in 400cc grey imports. Martin Davidson, a key figure in BAT's success, tells us how it all started:
"Japanese riders were restricted to 400cc because of the country's licensing laws. When the bikes were three years old they weren't wanted, so we bought them by the container load - most of them were in superb nick.
It was an exciting time because you didn't really know what you'd be getting in each shipment. There'd be 400s, two-stroke 250s and plenty of jaw-dropping exotica you just didn't normally see in Britain. The Japanese produce stunning bikes for their home market.
Did you sell many? "It was an unbelievable time. We sold everything we could get our hands on. New riders were elated there was something on offer besides a CB500, a Bandit or a cruiser. It gave riders a tempting alternative if they couldn't afford to buy and insure a 600cc sportsbike. The ladies love them, too, because they could reach the floor and look cool. 400cc race replicas changed the British bike scene forever."
So why aren't they imported anymore? "MSVA (Motorcycle Single Vehicle Approval) wrecked everything. Before it appeared in 2003 we would service the bikes, change the tyres, MOT them and they were ready for the showroom. The stringency of MSVA testing made importing 400s financial suicide. It's a bloody shame because there are no fresh bikes coming into the country."
The Salesman
Visordown spoke to Gary McKay at DK Motorcycles in Stoke on Trent, another grey import specialist that's been bringing bikes into the country for the last 20 years. Their showroom still has a fair number of grey imports but their stock is dwindling due to MSVA regulations.
Is there still a market for 400s? "There's still a huge market for 400cc sportsbikes but the quality of what's left on the secondhand market is diminishing year-on-year now no one's importing fresh stuff from Japan. MSVA's ruined the show. I could sell a whole showroom full of them if I could find decent quality stock. Finding it's the problem."
Which 400s are most popular? "Hondas mainly. VFRs, RVFs and baby-Blades - the CBR400RR. Kawasaki officially imported the ZX-R400, so there are quite a few decent examples around but that ceased production in 2003. On the whole it's difficult finding a decent low mileage 400 that hasn't been crashed, tracked or just plain neglected. Suzuki GSX-R400s and Yamaha FZR400RRs aren't so popular."
The Market
We did a national search on the most popular race replica 400s for sale. Honda VFRs were the most plentiful, RVFs were the most expensive and Suzuki GSX-Rs the least popular. It's worth noting the cheapest and most expensive CBR400s (£950 and £2395) were made in the same year:
Honda VFR400 - 45 available
Cheapest - 1990 model costing £995
Most expensive - 1992 model costing £2695
Honda RVF400 - 15 available
Cheapest - 1993 model costing £1995
Most expensive - 1998 model costing £3999
Honda CBR400RR - 25 available
Cheapest - 1990 model costing £950
Most expensive - 1990 model costing £2395
Kawasaki ZX-R400 - 20 available
Cheapest - 1994 model costing £995
Most expensive - 2003 model costing £3250
Suzuki GSX-R400 - 9 available
Cheapest - 1991 model costing £995
Most expensive - 1992 model costing £1899
Yamaha FZ-R400RR - 12 available
Cheapest - 1988 model costing £875
Most expensive - 1991 model costing £1999
The Buyer
Visordown spoke to Mark Oddi, a fireman from Oxford, who passed his test six years ago and started searching for a VFR400 straightaway:
"It looked at fifteen before I found the right one. I'd have probably bought sooner but my instructor came with me and insisted we weren't going to buy any shit. I learnt a hell of a lot in that time. Some had been crashed, others had lousy gearboxes and most had tatty bodywork. I almost gave up in the end. Eventually we found an absolute minter, but my joy wasn't to last long as I got swiped off it the following week when some idiot jumped a red light. That was over six years ago, so I'd imagine finding a decent one now would be a total nightmare."
