Honda Working On A 400cc, Inline-Four To Take On The Ninja ZX-4R?

Will it come to India?

The screaming sound of an in-line 4-cylinder 400cc engine is just intoxicating, right? The nostalgic 90s trend has been recently revived by Kawasaki with the launch of the ZX-4R this year in markets abroad. And according to some speculations doing the rounds on the internet, Honda might be working on a new in-line 4-cylinder 400cc engine of their own too! Also, some cool rendered images have surfaced hinting at what the different variants might look like.

For reference, until 2022, Honda did have the CB400 Super Four and Super Bol d’Or Final Edition (powered by a liquid-cooled, 399cc inline four-cylinder engine) in their Japanese line-up before the retro models were discontinued afterwards. But the CB400 nameplate might be revived by Honda as a 400cc derivative of the 650cc engine from the CB650R. It might also borrow a lot of the neo sports cafe styling elements like the round headlights from the CB650R. 

If a new Honda CB400 is in the works, then a Super Bol d’Or edition of it can also be expected with a half-fairing. It is expected the new CB400 might come with a diamond frame. 

Kawasaki has made big waves in this segment recently by reviving the in-line 4-cylinder 400cc engine segment in the form of the ZX-4R with a manic 80PS output (with ram-air cooling) at 15,000rpm! So, Honda might also bring out a supersport version of the new 400cc engine they are developing (likely to be called the CBR400RR?) and give a stern fight to Team Green in this segment. 

As of now, all of this news is in the speculation stage, so no official details are available right now. But, if Honda is working on a new 400cc in-line 4-cylinder engine, then it will be a very niche product in keeping with the segment’s target audience. And like the ZX-4R, it is probably not coming to India. It will be mainly sold in Japan and the US.

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