"Conclusion
Review courtesy of
www.gsxr-online.co.uk
All three of these bikes were a shock to me. Over the years I've tested quite a few 400s (albeit some time ago) but I don't remember them being so, well... so damn slow. They may have two-thirds of the capacity of 600s but there's no way they come even close to offering up the same proportion of power. They can't even match the delivery of an Aprilia RS250 and yet they carry considerably more weight.
There's so little excitement to be had from the motors that you rely on the handling, particularly conservation of momentum going into corners, to get your jollies. Because speed is so hard to gain in the first place, you find yourself pushing the limits of safe riding further and further just so you don't have to touch the brakes, however gently. 'I can make that gap.' 'I will nip between these two trucks.' 'Why should I slow down for this roundabout when there's bound to be a gap in the traffic?' It's a lethal game, but it is the only way to ride these babies - flat out, everywhere. So which bike is best at playing the game? Well that's easy, the Honda doesn't just blow the other two into the weeds, it blows them right through and out the other side. Then again, so it should because it is newer and frankly, it's also bloody expensive."