The 2005 Honda XR400 is one of those iconic bikes that has a reputation that will far outlive any XR itself. It doesn’t matter what pub you are grabbing a beer in, there will always be some old fella right there ready to spin stories about his old XR400 and how he can take on anyone, anywhere and have them beat aboard his trusty XR.

Perhaps the stories are actually the best part about the mighty 2005 Honda XR400 because if you happen to be brave enough to compare one against a modern enduro bike loaded with modern suspension and electronics, you are going to be left heart broken.

In its day the 2005 Honda XR400 was the perfect trailbike. The suspension is soft and comfortable and the frame and fork are full of flex, meaning the XR400 floated down trails. Compared to modern engines, the XR400’s mill would be considered a mellow, slow revving unit, but in its day the XR400 was considered a great trailbike as it was reliable and hard to break. In fact famers are still flogging XR400s around farms because it has enough power and torque to keep up with the cattle while being tough and robust enough to be thrown on the ground without breaking it.

The XR400 can withstand abuse but one thing it didn’t like was dirty oil. If the oil was left too long without being changed then it would go black and begin to wear the piston and main bearings. The valves were tough as they were made from steel and if they ever did need adjusting then it was a relatively easy job compared to modern shim and bucket style tappets. The cam chains lasted well but constant over revving had a tendency to stretch them. I’ve seen plenty XR400s blowing smoke with knocking sounds coming from the crank and they still continue to run.

If you are looking at a secondhand 2005 Honda XR400 then make sure the bike starts easily and doesn’t blow smoke or have any strange engine noises. Repairs can be costly and if too severe can often make old bikes like the XR worthless. Ride the bike and make sure all the gears are selecting and the clutch doesn’t slip. Check over the frame for any stress or cracks. The XR frame had a habit of cracking if jumped but being a steel frame it is relatively easy to fix. Check over the wheels; old XR spokes like to seize up solid and stretch which means you cannot retention them, leaving you with a bill of a few hundred dollars per wheel to repair. 

To keep your 2005 Honda XR400 in good condition change the oil every five hours of use and clean the air filter after each ride. If you do this then the XR400 will likely out live us all.

NEW

2001 $8990

2002 $8990

2003 $9190

2004 $9190

2005 $9190

 

SECONDHAND

2001 $4350 – $5150

2002 $4650 – $5500

2003 $5450 – $6450

2004 $6400 – $7600

2005 $7500 – $8900

 

MARKET EQUIVALENT

2005 Honda CRF450X

$3650-$4300

01-05 Honda XR250R

$2500-$4950

 

03-05 Yamaha WR450F

$3050-$4000

01 02 Yamaha WR426

$2500-$3050

01-02 KTM 400EXC

$4550-$5700