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Yamaha’s SR400 won’t be coming to Canada this year, though it’ll be for sale in the US.
According to multiple US news sources, the single-cylinder classic (a direct descendant of the ’70s-era SR500) will hit US showrooms in June, as a 2015 model. However, Yamaha’s Canadian head office informs us the bike won’t be coming here this year, citing pricing issues.
At $5,999 (in the US), they may be right, considering very little has changed since it was introduced; they added fuel injection, but no electric start, and downsized the engine displacement for the Japanese market, where it’s remained in production for decades. Then there’s the unfavourable US:CA exchange rate to work into that too.
So the question is, how much would you pay for one?
Sooooooo…. any news as to whether this bike is coming to Canada or not?
Sorry, unless the Canadian dollar improves beyond the pale of imagination, this bike just won’t ever make it here. It was never brought in because they didn’t figure they could sell it at a price Canadians would pay, and since our dollar has slid even further, it just doesn’t look like a remote possibility.
It didn’t take very long after stumbling upon the news of the bke’s upcoming availability in the U.S. for me to decide to buy one, and after one look I felt it was well worth its $5990 price tag. Why quibble. Vintage have increased in value $1000 above their original MSRP, unlike most multi-cylinder bikes of the era worth half as much. I picked up my new bike June 25th 2014 from the same salesman that sold me a new 1979 SR500. I started it a few times on the first kick (one time in two kicks). It idles smoothly, and there’s no choke or hot start button to fiddle with thanks to the EFI. Brought it up to about 65. Kept altering the speed, following the break-in procedure. The ride comfort and handling is awesome, The bike is well balanced and responsive, and the seat is noticeably more comfortable than the original model It was very windy on that first ride home but the bike was unaffected. With the threat of bad weather I’d have to show it off another day. The quality is top-notch and the bike looks even pricier than it is. The engine finish is high and the paint and chrome are flawless. The exclusive U.S. Liquid Graphite metallic paint job with Yamaha black side covers is decidedly striking in person. The aluminum spoke wheels are nicely finished giving the bike a classy, vintage look lacking on the original, while Yamaha chose function over form regarding tires and brakes. In lieu of retro treads (Metzler Perfect Me77) on the ’14 European model, sticky Bridgestone Battlax BT-45s are fitted to the ’15 U.S. model, as is a modern drilled front disc brake rotor. The bike is produced in small numbers. According to Yamaha’s Japanese web-site, 1,300 units per year are being produced for Yamaha’s Japan home market, while its been announced that 500 units will be imported to the U.S this year. Yamaha must be very proud of this model, building it as long as they have, because although the bike has remained virtually the same in design for 36 years, much refinement is evident and it looks and feels like t’s built, not to a price, but with a lot of care and pride.
I don’t think the domestic market could support more than 1300 units/year. Used SRs are a common feature of every bike shop here (‘here’ being Tokyo). Larger used shops, such as Red Baron, will generally have a row with up to a half a dozen SRs for sale at any given location. With a long production history comes the problem of a saturated used market that absolutely chips away at your potential new sales.
I wish I could get one of those used SRs.
I’m sure that Red Baron would be delighted to help you arrange export of a bike:
http://www.redbaron.co.jp/english/index.html
We need more 400cc motorcycles in Canada. Insurance in British Columbia is around $48 a month for a motorcycle up to 400cc. Less then half the price of a 450cc (and up) motorcycle. It’s just ridiculous that Canada has only imported one 400cc bike in the last 20 years? Last year’s Ninja I believe? I’m not a big sport bike fan but I love the old standard motorcycles and love the SR400.
For some reason, the 350 and 400 cc segments have completely died. The way things are headed, we’ll soon have a 300 and 500 segment, and I can’t see anyone bringing a 400 to market in that case, unless it’s a niche bike like the KTM Duke 390 or the SR400. I can’t see anyone bothering to build a 400 cc sportbike or standard if they already have a 300 or 500 in their lineup.
It’s disappointing to me – I’d love to see an updated DR350 come back to market. I’ve never owned one, but as far as I can figure, a dual sport about 350 cc is about the best compromise you can make between highway and off-road capability, esp. if it is capable of being big-bored to 450, like the DR350 was.
When I add the SR400 to my bike insurance policy, it will go up by $61 a YEAR: full coverage, high liability and towing. This bike is dead cheap to insure.
The KTM Duke 350 came to Canada in limited numbers. The dealer near me in St. Albert, AB, still has one in white.
Sorry, 390.
Last year I bought a 1982 honda 750 with 12,000 miles.It a classic just like the sr 400 but it 4 cyl. 77 hps,like new and loads of power and fun… Paid only 1500.00 dollars. I love the look of the sr 400 but 6000.00 us is
a lot of money for a refreshed old design. Between 4000 to 5000$ I AM A BUYER.
Fair enough. But for the same money, I’ll be riding a modern bike, not an antique, air-cooled bike with 8.5:1 compression.
an antique does not have electronic fuel injection and digital ignition dummy.
Except the CB*500 aren’t made in Japan and have absolutely no character to speak of. The SR is worth the premium for being Japanese made alone.
So Yamaha Canada has decided to bring the MT07 to Canada and that is great but the SR400 would have been better. I am going to buy a MT07/FZ07 though.
$6750 for a 400cc thumper? The new CTX700N up here in Canada has 6spd, Injected, disc brakes, 75+ mpg, all for $6999, for a grand more you get the touring version and $500 more an auto transmission/manual option and ABS. The SR400 in Canada should be in the $3999 – $4999 range, with the higher price being custom colors or cafe racer scheme. This would sell just get the price down some and I’ll sign the papers.
My SR500 had two valves with covers each held by two allen bolts. The valves were adjusted by lock-nut adjusters in five minutes and Yamaha even supplied the feeler steel. I put 23000 miles on my bike and only had to adjust the exhaust valve once and I was sixteen when I did it. The cost of ownership in terms of maintenance was almost negligible…it even has inexpensive tires but the current retail price is high enough now to guarantee failure in our marketplace. Oh, I bought mine new in 1979 for sixteen hundred and the dealer even threw in a leather riding jacket. Finally, the trick to starting it was not to tweak the throttle while kicking because it had a pumper carburetor that would flood the engine. If you knew what you were doing it would start with one kick hot or cold rain or shine.
Everyone says the SR400 is too expensive at $6000. Compared to what? In 1978 I paid $1800 for a new SR500, and was making less than $10,000 a year. Today the price is three times what it was, but I am making about seven times what I was then: for a cheaper, better bike than the SR500 I loved. Where is the downside?
I really, really like this bike and would love to buy one – but $6000+ seems awfully steep for what it is.
at $5000 they would sell at $6500+ not so much .you can buy a nice sr/srx for 2-3 grand.
This bike is an honest attempt to provide people with a straight-forward motorcycle that does not look like it is origami. I was ready to buy one at the USA price.
The Honda CB500s are built in Thailand and I’d pay more for a bike built in Japan like the SR400 is. The Honda CB500s have a lot of plastic and many terrible looking design features such as the headlights. The SR400 just looks great with all the chrome on its classic design.
Yeah. There is one word that really defines the SR from the other bikes in the class: Character. Love the bike or not, it has boat loads of character.
Not to mention shim valve adjustment. Must be done at the dealer for $500. Totally retarded as the engine has cam followers. The honda dealer in Phuket has a showroom full of them while the cbr250 is sold out.
CB500 2014 models do not need the valve clearance inspection.
I ride the bike much more than I look at it, so I’ll happily take light weight plastic, a much more powerful engine, and (on the CB500F) ABS for the price of the SR400.
$4999 and it would sell. I think Yamaha Canada is smart to not bring it in till Japan drops the price. As Oldbikenut already said whats with the premium price? Isnt this basically a parts bin bike? Made from a 36+ year old design?
I would guess there are two possible reasons for the high price. It’s possible they can command premium pricing for the same reason H-D commands premium pricing – in their target market, they have no problem making sales.
The other possible reason is that this bike design is old enough that it may be quite expensive to produce. Modern machines are cranked out like crackerjacks in a Thai factory, on an assembly line that’s designed with efficiency in mind and staffed by workers who don’t make much money. That may not be the case with this bike.
Those are just guesses, though. Our low Canadian dollar doesn’t help things either.
Canadians aren’t missing anything. That price is the same as the price of Honda’s CBR550R, CB500X, or CB500FA (with ABS). I absolutely can’t see spending that kind of money to get an air-cooled bike with 8.5 to 1 compression just to get steel/chromed fenders.
Oops, make that CBR500R (non-ABS, same as the CB500X).
Crikey Yamaha, the tooling has been paid for for ages. Why the premium price?
Price it around $5000 and I think folks would do more than just talk about how they would love to own one.
Mind you, if the USA can have the SR400 can Canada have the RD350LC or the RZ350 again? That seems only fair, eh?
I had 2 of the RD350LCs. I must have looked like an elephant on a roller skate but it was an elephant on a FAST roller skate!!!
I would love one of these, but I would MUCH prefer a bigger displacement, say a 600 like the old SRX-6.That would haul my huge lard*ss a lot better. (290 pounds) I rode the 500 and loved the light weight and narrowness of the bike. It was a sweet ride.
I hope US Yamaha delaers sell to Canadians as I am going to try and get one. I was about to buy a 2014 1000 v-strom but would rather have this bike. I already have a Suzuki TU250X but this is just enought bigger to make a difference. I regards to pricing most Yamahas cost around 12% more here than the US price and that would make it $6750 here and I would pay that. If Yamaha Canada reads this please also bring the MT07 to Canada.
RET