An Inline-Four-Powered Honda CBR400R Could Be On the Way
A new Honda ‘CBR400R Four’ could be in the pipeline as new patents are said to be filled out
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Honda could be working on an all-new inline-four sports bike to rival the Kawasaki ZX-4R. According to Motorcycle.com, the Japanese manufacturer has filed a patent for ‘CBR400R Four’, differentiating this potential new model from the existing, JDM-only CBR400R.
That bike is really just a CBR500R, but with a shorter stroke to drop beneath the 400cc displacement and therefore meet Japan’s licensing requirements. The CBR400R Four would be a very different beast. Pictured below is the rear section of a CBR500R.
What could we expect from a CBR400R other than a high-revving inline-four engine? It could receive a more aggressive design echoing that of the revived CBR600RR. Aero in the form of winglets has in some ways become the new kid on the block when it comes to sportbikes, and that also rings true for smaller motorcycles so you would imagine that Honda will want to incorporate some variation of wings on the new 400R, perhaps differently to the 500R and 650R in order to give it an original identity. The 500R has small wings on the front fairing of the bike and that’s where we would expect to see the 400R receive something similar.
The patent application was filed on 27 August and although this doesn’t necessarily mean it will definitely go through full production and be made available in other markets, the intent from Honda is clearly there. Honda and Kawasaki have bikes in nearly all the different ranges, but it’s the latter who has been king of the 400cc bikes. This could be Honda’s way of wanting to make its mark and rival the Ninja ZX-4R, which remains one of the most popular small-capacity sportbikes.
Pictured above is the CBR400R's expected main rival, the Kawasaki ZX-4R. The first CBR models to come into existence were introduced in 1983 thanks to the CBR400F, so Honda revisiting the 400cc category is by no means a surprise given its roots. The CBR400F had an air-cooled Inline-Four and a rotational-speed valve stop mechanism, also known as “(REV) that was a predecessor to Honda’s VTEC system.
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