One of the big complaints about the current crop of adventure bikes is that they’re too big and heavy for serious off-road exploration. Manufacturers are responding – Kawasaki’s just released the Versys-X 300, Honda’s got their CRF250L, and BMW/KTM are about to release 310/390cc contenders. While the segment is enjoying some attention from OEMs right now, there were a few bikes in the last couple of decades that were already playing in the space, like the DRZ400. But here’s a little v-twin explorer that was only sold in Japan – making it a very rare find here in the US.
The 400 was known as the ND06, and it was the little brother of the 600 (which later became a 650 and then a 700). In fact, it was nearly identical to the bigger bike, but Honda went with a smaller motor for tiered license holders in Japan. The 52 degree twin was good for 37 horsepower.
This bike is said to be in “remarkable shape for a 22 year old motorcycle”, and the seller thankfully includes plenty of photos to back that claim up. The bike has only done 10 miles in the last two weeks, and during that time it’s had a refresher: a carb clean, oil change, coolant flush, and brake flush. Everything is said to work and everything is stock except for some modifications for touring: Givi side bags and windscreen plus a no-name top box and crash bars. The seller points out a couple of minor cosmetic flaws but I’m impressed with how well this bike has held up.
Find this baby Transalp for sale in San Jacinto, California with a BIN of $5,500 or best offer