Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles
Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/128629
R I IIIRB={;::J Cannondale MX400 E1: 1 1~ fu el -inj ectio n m app in g , o ne th at will be rectifi ed with an u pd ated computer chip . The compa ny says it h as settled on t he new settings in t esting and w ill soo n be ha v i n g t he n ew c hi p s p ro duced ; su b se q ue nt 2 0 0 1 models will come with t he rev ised chip , and t hose w ho b ought an earlier-model MX40 0 can bring it to t heir de ale r fo r a fr ee rep lacement . Apart f ro m t h a t , we l o v ed the C'dale 's powerpl an t. It ha s a b road spread of power th at is u sabl e from top to bottom , allow in g the rider to lu g down low or re v up h igh. The hit is n 't as explosive as on a YZ426F , and we're w illing to bet that t he Ya mi (Above) One of the Cannondale's strong points is its suspens ion, which comprises this inverted Ohlin s fork and a Iinkless shock from the same company. (Right) The heart of the matter: The MX400 powerplant features a reversed cyl inder head, with Intake at the front and exhaust at the rear. Inst e ad of a carburetor, the bike uses electronic fuel injection. has more b e an s , but th e MX4 0 0 is user-friendly and d arn ed fast . It rev s out impressively in a mot o c ross-like fashion, but is t rac t ab le en ou gh tha t we were more easil y ab le t o clear d ou b les with lo w -t ract ion approaches t ha n on a two -s t r oke . All o f ou r testers - e ven LaPo rte - l o v ed the pow e r , and sh ifting wa s a lso twost ro ke smooth . There are a.few other qu irk s we 've n oticed with t he MX400, bu t no th in g t oo m ajor. Our b o o t s ca u g ht on t h e ra d ia tor shrouds in corners an d in the air, b ut p la st ic co mpany Cycra is rectifying th is prob lem by m od ify in g t he mo ld to better t uck i n t he shrouds ' bottom ed g es. In a dd ition, we som etim es fo und ourselves st anding on the c u rved portion of t h e rear brake lever, wh ic h should b e tu cked in a li ttle better. The sh ift lev er fe el s a little w eird at first , bu t we nev er had an y trouble lo cating it for gea r ch ange s . T h e C an non d al e MX400 is not for everyon e. It' s a stra nge, quirky , co ntroversial risk -taker , and it w ill co ntin ue to have its fair sh are of c riti c s. T h at sa id, w e resp ect Cannondal e for hav i n g th e c o u r a ge t o n ot onl y begin b uilding a m otorc ycle from scratch , bu t to do it in a tot all y new wa y , and to tak e on the big gu ns mana a mana, ins tead of h iding b ehind its id io syn cratic c u lt status . Bu t most im porta nt- (Above) The MX400 is a large motorcycle, but it's also bot h nimble and stable. (Above right) Vet Pro Do n Burke fl ies the 'dale du ri ng its offic ial press unve ili ng at Elsinore MX Track. ly, we resp ect Ca nnond ale for m ak ing a hell of a good m ot orcy cl e. eN Whatever your opinion of the Cannondale MX400, there's no denying that the bike's list of high-end. tr ick parts is the longest ever for a production motocrosser. Not everything on the following list is a debut in the MX world , but never before have so many technological features come standard on the same machine. • Perim eter fram e • Aluminum fram e • • • • Electronic fuel injection Separate transmission oil <;. filter Dual , front-mounted air filters Ohlins suspension com ponents • Linkl ess rear suspension design • • • • Reversed cyli nder head Cassette transmission Removable frame downtubes for easy engine removal Wide, aluminum footp egs • N issin front and rear brak es • • • • High-grip seat cover Electric start Low-CG, under-seat. translucent fuel tank Alum inum handlebar • One-piece crank case 34 SEPTEMBER 6. 2000 ' cue • e n e vv s @{j)@@o(/o@ Jo@ &i [Ji)[:B @&JDDDD@DD@)fiJD []!j]};{t[J@@ @ COLORS: . ENGINE: DISPLACEMENT: BORE x STROKE: COMPRESSION RATIO: VALVE TRAIN: FUEL SYSTEM: COOLING SYSTEM: IGNITION SYSTEM: STARTING SYSTEM: LUBRICATION SYSTEM: TRANSMISSION: FRAME: FRONT WHEEL: REAR WHEEL: FRONT TIRE: REAR TIRE: FRONT SUSPENSION: Viper Red or Super Black Four-stroke, single-cyli nder .432cc , 95 x 61mm 12.5:1 DOHC, four valves Electron ic fuel injectio n Liquid ' .' .. . . .. . . .. . • .. .. . . . .Constant- energy inductiv e coil 12-volt starter motor Dry sump .Flve-speed, cassette , Aluminum; twIn spar. perimeter Spoke, 1.60 x 21 aluminum rim Spoke, 2.15 x 19 aluminum rim 80/100 x 21 Pirelli 110/90 x 19 Pirelli Ohli ns FG9910, w/exte rnal compression .and rebound dampi ng REAR SUSPENSION: Linkl ess, Ohlins position- sensitive damping (PSD) w/ex ternal compression, rebound and pre-load adjustments FRONT BRAKE: Nissin, dual-piston caliper, single disc REAR BRAKE: Nissin, single-piston calip er, single disc WHEELBASE: .58.5 in. RAKE: 27.5" GROUND CLEARANCE: , 14.2 in. . SEAT HEIGHT: . . ... .. • ... . . .. . . . . . . . ..... . . ... .. . .... . ...... . .36.7 in. FUEL CAPACITY: 2.1 gal. CLAIMED DRY WEIGHT: 242 pounds , $7950 SUGGESTED RETAIL PRICE: ;