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30-Year Arcs / Naked Heritage / Honda CB400 SF Lineage
Honda Japan

Honda CB400 Super Four. The 25-year JDM 400cc inline-four legend.

Honda's 1992-2017 CB400 Super Four was the Japanese-domestic-market 400cc inline-four naked — built specifically for Japan's licence-class structure, 53bhp restricted, naked roadster styling. Ran 25 years almost unchanged. Three main generations: NC31 (1992-99), NC39 (1999-2007), NC42 (2008-2017). Never officially sold in UK — all examples are grey imports.

1996
CB400 SF NC31 · 4 yrs in
2006
CB400 SF NC39 · mid-life
2016
CB400 SF NC42 · 8 yrs in
2026
Killed 2017 · 9 yrs gone
Continual audits are underway to verify local pricing for every bike in every market. Apologies for any gaps you see while this is in progress.
1996 CB400 SF NC31 · 4 yrs in
1996 Honda CB400 Super Four NC31

Honda CB400 Super Four NC31

399cc liquid-cooled inline-four (JDM)
53bhp at peak (Japan licence restriction), naked roadster styling

399cc liquid-cooled DOHC inline-four (carbs)
53bhp
38
167
780
ABSFuel injectionTraction controlRide modesAnalogue dialsJDM 400 inline-fourNaked roadster
Known issues
  • CB400 SF — JDM grey-import speedo conversion errors — all UK greys
  • Reg/rec failure (Honda pattern) — all years
  • Carb sync drift — all years
  • Cam chain tensioner rattle — high-mile bikes
£4,500 grey
£9,000
£1.5–3k
2006 CB400 SF NC39 · 7 yrs in
2006 Honda CB400 Super Four NC39

Honda CB400 Super Four NC39

Same 399cc engine, FI from 2002 ('Hyper VTEC' variant)
Continuous JDM production, grey imports continued to UK

399cc liquid-cooled DOHC inline-four (FI 2002+)
53bhp
38
173
790
ABSFuel injection (2002+)Traction controlRide modesAnalogue + LCDHyper VTEC optionJDM grey-import only
Known issues
  • CB400 SF NC39 — Hyper VTEC variant has cam-switch issues — 2002+
  • Reg/rec carry-over — all years
  • Otherwise legendarily reliable
£5,200 grey
£8,800
£2–3.5k
2016 CB400 SF NC42 · 8 yrs in
2016 Honda CB400 Super Four NC42

Honda CB400 Super Four NC42 (final, 2017)

Final generation — Euro 4 update 2014, ABS standard
Killed 2017 by Euro 4 + JDM market shift

399cc liquid-cooled DOHC inline-four (FI · Euro 4)
53bhp
38
199
785
ABSFuel injectionTraction controlRide modesAnalogue + LCDNaked roadsterJDM grey-import only
Known issues
  • CB400 SF NC42 — Euro 4 fuel mapping refinement — 2014-17
  • Reg/rec carry-over — all years
  • Otherwise mature platform
£6,000 grey
£7,800
£3.2–5k
2026 Killed 2017 · 9 yrs gone
No bike for this era

No CB400 SF

Honda killed CB400 SF in 2017 — Euro 4 + JDM market shift to ADV/cruiser
The JDM 400cc inline-four naked era is over

STATUS · GONE
GONE
—
—
—
—
—
CB650R £8,499
// 30-Year Delta

What actually changed.

Honda's JDM 400cc inline-four · 1992-2017
JDM 400cc inline-four legend 1992-2017, 25 yrs CB400 Super Four ran for 25 model years with relatively minor updates — three main generations (NC31, NC39, NC42). Built specifically for Japan's licence structure. Never officially sold in UK — all examples are grey imports. Cult bike — properly bombproof Honda engine.
Why never UK-spec Yamaha XJR400 strategy Honda kept CB400 SF JDM-only because of European licence-class structure (no 400cc requirement) and lower volumes wouldn't justify EU homologation. Yamaha XJR400 is the Yamaha equivalent — same JDM-grey-import market. Both are now grey-import cult bikes.
Real cost trajectory Held value £4,500 grey CB400 SF in 1996 (£9,000 today). Used market 2026: £1.5-3k for early NC31, £2-3.5k for NC39, £3.2-5k for late NC42. Held value relatively well because of cult status and bombproof reliability.
Rider aids count (1996 → 2017) 0 → 2 NC31 (1996) had nothing. NC39 (2002+) added FI and Hyper VTEC. NC42 (2014+) added ABS. Modern CB650R (2026) has cornering ABS, FI, TC, ride modes — different generation.
Cheapest way in £1.5k A clean CB400 SF NC31 from 1996-2000 (carb era). 53bhp inline-four, naked styling, comfortable for daily use, restricted licence-friendly. Pay attention to grey-import paperwork, speedo conversion, carb sync, reg/rec. Service through Honda specialists for grey-import expertise.
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// Sources

Where these numbers come from

Every figure on this page is from a published manufacturer spec sheet or a reputable review publication. No press junkets, no opinions in the spec data. Inflation calculated using Bank of England's CPI tool.

1992-1999 Honda CB400 SF NC31 Manufacturer specs (JDM) · grey-import dealers
1999-2007 Honda CB400 SF NC39 Manufacturer press · MCN · Visordown
2008-2017 Honda CB400 SF NC42 (final) Manufacturer press · MCN · Bennetts BikeSocial