At the end of October, the CB400 SuperFour was discontinued and the end of the learner's vehicle specifications.
Honda, the leader in the industry, will not remain silent in the absence of a new learner's car, and we are informed that a new model will be released in the spring of 2024. Which model will be used as a learner's motorcycle?
CG:SRD
There is a line called 400X as well as GB350
The regulations require that the training vehicle for a standard motorcycle license, which allows the holder to ride a motorcycle of up to 400 cc, must have a displacement of at least 300 cc. Of course, the vehicle must be compliant with the law, so it must be compliant with the 2020 exhaust fuel regulations. The GB350 will be compliant with the regulations from May 2023, so it is also a candidate for a learner's vehicle.
The other candidates are narrowed down to the 400X and the CBR400R, but since the CBR400R with forward-leaning and separate handlebars is unlikely, either the GB350 or the 400X should be the new learner's car version.
In the past, the K was at the end of the instructional vehicle, as in VFR750K or VFR400K (K = Kyoshusha / instructional vehicle), but now the naming has an L, as in NC750L (L = Licence), so the name may be GB350L or 400XL (or 400L).
HONDA G350L. Editor's Forecast CG. 348cc GB350 fits the requirements of a learner's motorcycle.
Its upright position makes it easy to handle, but both 400Xs have a high seat height of 800mm.
HONDA 400XL. Editor's projected CG. The liquid-cooled parallel two-cylinder engine is easy to handle and suitable for a learner's motorcycle. The volume around the front with the half cowl and the high center of gravity are a concern.
HONDA CB400 SuperFour Instructional Spec Model. Released in December 2017 to comply with the 2016 emission regulations. Details differ, such as the seat height being set at 750mm, 5mm lower than the STD, and equipped with bumpers
Most likely the 400X. NC750X-based NC750L to follow?
The NC750L, launched by Honda in 2016 as a large motorcycle license training vehicle, is getting a makeover this July with a new model based on the NC750X. Previously based on the naked NC750S, this is the first time a crossover tourer has become a learner's vehicle.
When the NC750X was converted to the NC750L, the long screen was removed and a bumper was installed. The maximum output was reduced from the X's 58 PS to 37 PS and the amount of trail was increased, among other minor adjustments. It is believed that the new standard motorcycle learner's car will be similarly adjusted to the「L」model, but the base model is likely to be the 400X, a crossover tourer, just like the large learner's motorcycle.
The likely reason for the choice is the ease of handling of the two-cylinder engine. The GB350 would have been considered because beginners might have trouble with the punch of the big single and because the air-cooled engine could not be cooled in the low-speed-only training process.
The 400X has just changed to a larger-diameter 19-inch front wheel in 2019, and if it were to be used as a learner's vehicle as is, slalom and other small maneuvers would be more difficult than on the CB400SF, but the single bridge would be advantageous because of its higher stability and other advantages. The problem is that the seat height is 50mm higher than that of the CB400SF, and it is likely to be lowered.
HONDA NC750L MT learner's vehicle version. This new-generation large-sized learner's vehicle replaces the NC750L, which was based on the discontinued NC750S. An AT learner version equipped with DCT was also newly added to the lineup.
